Explore Initial Jomon genomic evidence, early continuity and new high-coverage research.
📍 RegionJapan
🧬 Closest modern matchAgta
⏳ Time periodInitial Jomon
Initial Jomon: early communities of the Japanese archipelago
Initial Jomon is a phase within a long archaeological sequence, not a single settlement. This reference gives a genetic point of comparison for the early part of that sequence.
Early evidence from different localities
Adachi and colleagues published genome data from remains at Higashimyo, a shell-midden site in Kyushu, in 2021. Their comparisons suggested continuity with later Jomon genomes while emphasizing the need for wider regional and chronological sampling. This is a published Initial Jomon example, not an asserted identification of the individual behind this page.
The World Genetics label records n=1 but does not name a site. Higashimyo, Iyai and other archaeological finds must not be silently treated as interchangeable because they share a period designation.
A 2026 study reconstructed a high-coverage genome from an Initial Jomon woman, IY1, alongside a Middle Yayoi man. Its demographic analyses contrasted long-term postglacial stability in the Jomon lineage with growth in the Yayoi-related ancestral population.
The study also investigated salivary-amylase copy number, adding a separate line of evidence relevant to dietary adaptation. Findings in one genome are not a dietary or medical diagnosis for all Jomon people or for their living descendants.
The Initial phase predates the Early, Middle and Late Jomon categories also available in the database. Comparing these references can make similarities and differences visible, but differences may reflect geographic sampling as well as time.
A single coordinate reference cannot establish the founding population of every island, the timing of all later migrations or the language of its source individual. Those questions require archaeological context and multiple dated genomes. This page consequently distinguishes the published Initial Jomon research from the narrower information contained in its unnamed dataset label.
In the World Genetics modern G25 comparison, the closest non-self match for Japan Jomon Initial is Agta. Other nearby references include Aeta, Japanese-Brazilian, Marquesan Nuku Hiva (European+East Asian-Mixed), and Mamanwa. This gives the Japan Jomon Initial profile its nearest modern genetic context inside the current reference database.
Closest Matches
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Distance
What does Japan Jomon Initial ancestry look like?
The ancestral breakdown below loads the best-fitting World Genetics calculator for the Japan Jomon Initial average. It should be read as a model of deep ancestry components, while the closest-match table is the better guide to which modern populations are most similar in G25 space.
Ancestral Breakdown
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Loading ancestral breakdown.
Where is Japan Jomon Initial DNA closest on the map?
The heatmap gives the Japan Jomon Initial profile a geographic shape. Warmer areas mark regions where available modern reference populations sit closer to the Japan Jomon Initial average, while cooler areas represent more distant matches.
What populations are genetically closest to Japan Jomon Initial?
The closest non-self match in this World Genetics comparison is Agta. Other nearby references include Aeta, Japanese-Brazilian, Marquesan Nuku Hiva (European+East Asian-Mixed), and Mamanwa.
Is Japan Jomon Initial DNA closest to Agta?
In the current modern G25 reference set, Agta is the closest listed match to the Japan Jomon Initial average after removing Japan Jomon Initial itself from the table.
What does the Japan Jomon Initial heatmap show?
The heatmap shows where modern reference populations are closer or farther from the Japan Jomon Initial G25 average, giving the closest-match results a geographic view.
