Complete mitochondrial genome sequencing reveals double-buried Jomon individuals excavated from the Ikawazu shell-mound site were not in a mother–child relationship

A recent mitochondrial genome analysis of two Jomon individuals buried together at the Ikawazu shell-mound site in northern Japan challenges the long-held assumption that their double burial indicated a mother-child relationship. By sequencing IK001's complete mitochondrial genome with 258-fold coverage, researchers found that its mtDNA differed distinctly from that of the adult woman (IK002), whose draft genome had been previously reported. This genetic discrepancy definitively rules out a maternal kinship between them. The study employs target capture sequencing to achieve high-resolution mitochondrial data, providing new insights into Jomon burial practices and social structures. These findings underscore the importance of advanced genomic techniques in revising archaeological interpretations.

WAKU, D., GAKUHARI, T., KOGANEBUCHI, K., YONEDA, M., KONDO, O., MASUYAMA, T., YAMADA, Y., & OOTA, H. (2022). Complete mitochondrial genome sequencing reveals double-buried Jomon individuals excavated from the Ikawazu shell-mound site were not in a mother–child relationship. Anthropological Science, 130(1), 39–45. https://doi.org/10.1537/ase.220129