Mating systems of the Jomon people from mainland Japan as indicated by dental traits.

Jomon people actively exchanged goods with groups who lived in other areas of mainland Japan. Although strontium analysis can be used to determine who the immigrants were and where people came from, this method requires the destruction of a certain quantity of bone. As Japan is covered by acidic soil, skeletal remains are often in bad condition. Poorly preserved bone has a risk of contamination, and skeletal remains in good condition are invaluable. Therefore, non-destructive methods that allow migration analysis are preferred in Japan. The aims of this study are to determine whether dental measurements and nonmetric dental traits can be used for migration analysis, and to determine patterns of mating during the Jomon period. The results of both dental measurements and nonmetric traits showed that male specimens formed two large clusters according to regions (the Kanto-Tohoku region and the Central region). By contrast, female specimens were found in smaller clusters depending on area and period. These results suggest that males moved longer distances for marriage than females during the Jomon period. The Final Jomon period sites in the Tokai region show a similar pattern of dental trait variation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]