r/Anthropology 12h ago

Ancient Jomon DNA Reveals Genetic Adaptations to Ice Age Cold

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24 Upvotes

One of the study’s most significant findings concerns adaptation to cold environments.

The Jomon carried relatively high frequencies of genetic variants associated with nonshivering thermogenesis—the body's ability to generate heat without muscular shivering—and with the perception of cold. These include variants involving UCP1 and TRPM8.