Anthropological reexamination of Nansei Islanders skeletal remains

研究了奄美、冲绳岛和咲岛3岛居民140,122和63个颅骨的度量和非度量特征。面部平整度测量结果显示，冲绳岛居民的头盖骨非常平坦，与移民弥生族和古坟族相当。在这方面，不像通常认为的那样，冲绳人与阿伊努斯人和绳纹人有很大的不同，他们的面部骨骼显示出突出的结构，而且，冲绳人和阿伊努斯人或绳纹人之间的非匀称颅骨特征的发生率模式也有很大的不同。根据这些结果，我们断言冲绳人和阿伊努斯人之间的密切亲缘关系假设需要仔细重新考虑。

We investigated metric and nonmetric characteristics on 140,122 and 63 crania of Amami, Okinawa and Sakishima Islandesrs. Results of facial flatness measurements revealed the crania of Okinawa Islandesrs had very flat faces comparable to those of immigrant Yayoi and Kofun people. In this respect, not as usually considered, Okinawans are very different from Ainus and Jomons whoes facial skeletons show prominent configuration, Moreover, the incidence pattern of nonmetric cranial traits was quite different between Okinawans and Ainus or Jomons. From these results we asserted the hypothesis of close affinity between Okinawans and Ainus to be carefully reconsidered.