It is estimated that people living in the Miyako Islands, which consist of eight islands such as Ikema Island and Irabu Island, migrated from the Okinawa Islands after 1 years ago at the earliest, but the origin has not been clarified.Ryukyu University is collecting and analyzing biological samples such as genomic DNA, genomic information, clinical test information, etc. under the "Okinawa Bio Information Bank Project" supported by the Cabinet Office, Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, and Okinawa Prefecture. This time, we analyzed the genomes of 1240 people from the Miyako Islands.

 From the population genetic analysis, it was found that the main island of Okinawa and the Miyako Islands form a genetically independent group, and even within the Miyako Islands, they can be classified into three groups: northeastern Miyakojima, southwestern Miyakojima, and Ikema / Irabujima.It is extremely rare in the world that there are populations with different genetic backgrounds in such a relatively small area.

 In addition, when we analyzed the past demographics of the regional population in the Miyako Islands based on genomic information, the population of Ikema / Irabu Island decreased sharply about 10 to 15 generations ago (250 to 300 years ago). Turned out to be experiencing.This decrease may reflect the damage caused by the 1771 Meiwa earthquake and the accompanying tsunami.

 Furthermore, as a result of investigating the interaction with the population outside the Miyako Islands by estimating the gene flow, it was found that the population of Miyako Island is affected by the genetic exchange from the outside such as Okinawa Island. all right.

 Finally, when these results were integrated and the group history was estimated by simulation analysis, the Ikema / Irabe group was derived from the migration from the outside during the Gusuku period (about 38 to 57 generations ago), and the ancestral Ryukyu group. It is estimated that the Miyakojima population differentiated from the Okinawajima population around the Ryukyu dynasty (the southwestern population was about 10 to 27 generations ago, and the northeastern population was about 2 to 18 generations ago).

 These results are important not only for considering the origin and past history of people from the Ryukyu Islands, but also for promoting personalized medicine tailored to the constitution of Okinawans based on genomic information. be.

Paper information:[Molecular Biology and Evolution] Fine-scale genetic structure and demographic history in the Miyako Islands of the Ryukyu Archipelago

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