A large-scale genetic analysis has identified a previously overlooked third ancestral group in Japan, challenging the long-held dual origins theory. Researchers linked the new ancestry to the ancient Emishi people of northeastern Japan. The findings also connect archaic DNA from Neanderthals and Denisovans to modern health conditions.
Scientists at RIKEN's Center for Integrative Medical Sciences sequenced the whole genomes of more than 3,200 people across seven regions from Hokkaido to Okinawa. The study, published in Science Advances, revealed that Japan's population descends from three major ancestral sources rather than two. Jomon hunter-gatherer ancestry reached 28.5 percent in Okinawa but only 13.4 percent in western Japan, while the newly identified Emishi-related component concentrated in the northeast.