Anthropol. Sci. 110(3),313-328, 2002

Yasuko Morii¹, Naotaka Ishiguro², Takuma Watanobe¹, Masuo Nakano¹, Hitomi Hongo³, Akira Matsui⁴, and Toyohiro Nishimoto⁵

1	Laboratory of Bioresource Science, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro
2	Laboratory of Veterinary Public Health, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro
3	Primate Research Institute, Kyoto University, Inuyama
4	Nara National Cultural Properties Research Institute, Nara
5	Natinoal Museum of Japanese History, Sakura

(Received February 13, 2002; accepted May 21, 2002)

Abstract We analyzed 201 Sus bones excavated from one Jomon and nine Yayoi sites in the southwestern Japanese Islands to determine their genetic relatedness using three fragments of the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) control region. Three fragments A (194-bp) and C (166-bp) were independently amplified from 38, 22 and 28 Sus bone specimens, respectively. All three fragments were successfully sequenced from ten specimens to construct 574-bp sequences that were combined with 57 modern Sus scrofa sequences including wild boars and domestic pigs to make a phylogenetic tree. Four or 10 specimens excavated from three sites located in the western part of Japan, were closely related to modern East Asian domestic pigs. The other six specimens from three sites were closely related to modern Japanese wild boars. However, parsimonious networks constructed for each fragment showed the difficulty of clearly distinguishing between Japanese wild boars and East Asian domestic pigs. These results reveal the possibility that even if Sus bones found at Yayoi stes are identified as East Asian domestic pigs, they were brought as exchanges or foods from Continental Asia to Japan through trade, but no evidence showing Sus breeding.

Key Words: ancient DNA, mitochondrial DNA, Japanese wild boar, domestic pig, molecular phylogeny