It was previously believed that the Japanese descended from two groups of ancestors, the Jōmon and the Yayoi.
A study conducted on the territory of Japan has shed light on the genetic origin of modern Japanese people. In the process, experts examined the DNA of 3,200 people and found a third group of ancestors of the Japanese people. The results of the study published the journal Science Advances.
Before the study it was believed that the ancestors of the modern inhabitants of Japan were two groups: Jomon - hunter-gatherers who lived in Japan from 16,000 to 3,000 years ago, and Yayoi - immigrant farmers who lived in the country from about 900 BC to 300 AD. But the scientists' study found that there was a third group that probably arrived during the Kofun period, which lasted from 300 to 710 AD.
Genetic analysis showed that modern Japanese inherited genes from all three ancestral groups, which supports the tripartite model of the origin of the Japanese people. The scientists' findings are consistent with archaeological evidence indicating cultural changes during the Kofun period.
The scientific conclusions were confirmed by historical records and archaeological data. We should add that the study revealed a curious detail: an unknown group of ancestors was linked to Northeast Asia. This means that the Japanese have genetic ties to this region.
The study of the unknown third group of ancestors can help to understand the process of formation of the Japanese nation and its genetic history, scientists believe.