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Japanese tooth size: past and present.
American Journal of Physical Anthropology
|December 1, 1982
Summary
Modern Japanese teeth are similar across regions, while Ainu have the smallest. The study suggests modern Japanese descend from Yayoi people, with Ainu possibly descending from Jomon populations.
Area of Science:
- Paleoanthropology
- Dental Anthropology
- Human Evolution
Background:
- Tooth size variation provides insights into human population history and migration patterns.
- Understanding Japanese dental morphology can illuminate ancestral origins and admixture.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare tooth crown dimensions across various Japanese and neighboring Asian populations.
- To investigate the origins of modern Japanese and Ainu populations based on dental metrics.
Main Methods:
- Mesial-distal and buccal-lingual crown measurements were taken from recent Japanese, Ainu, Korean, Jomon, and Yayoi dental samples.
- Tooth-by-tooth comparison of cross-sectional areas was performed.
Main Results:
- Modern Japanese dental samples showed no significant regional variation.
- Ainu exhibited the smallest teeth in Asia; Korean tooth size was comparable to Japanese.
- Yayoi teeth resembled Chinese Neolithic samples, while Jomon teeth were 10% smaller.
Conclusions:
- Dental metrics suggest modern Japanese are primarily descended from Yayoi migrants, with some Jomon admixture.
- The Ainu may represent direct descendants of the Jomon population.
- Tooth size reduction rates support these population origin hypotheses.