Consistency of Nonmetric Cranial Trait Expression during the Last 2,000 Years in the Habitants of the Central Islands of Japan.

Abstract

Incidences of 22 nonmetric cranial traits were compared through uni-and multi-variate procedures between seven cranial series from the central islands of Japan covering the past 4, 000 years of Japanese population history. The results indicated that there is a clear difference in the incidence of nonmetric traits between the native Jomon and the immigrant Yayoi, but thereafter, the incidence has remained stable over the 2, 000 years from the Yayoi period to the present time. Taken these together, it is inferred that the northern Kyushu Yayoi of continental lineage must be one of the lineal forerunners of the modern Japanese of the central islands of Japan.