Affinities of the protohistoric Kofun people of Japan with pre- and proto-historic Asian populations.

Abstract

For the affinity with the protohistoric Kofun people of Japan, 295 male and 190 female skeletal samples from pre- and proto-historic sites scattered over Asia were searched on the basis of seven cranial measurements. MAHALANOBIS' distances calculated for them suggest the coexistence of the natives of Japan and the immigrants of North Asian origin and/or intensive hybridization between them in protohistoric Japan. It should be noted, however, that the Kofun people do not resemble the Neolithic Northern Chinese who have been suggested to be extremely close to most of the modern Japanese in cranial morphology.