Genome analysis of an early Okhotsk individual from Hamanaka 2 site, Rebun Island, northern Japan

In 2017, an ancient human skeleton (NAT004) of the prehistoric Okhotsk culture was excavated from Rebun Island, northern Japan. To investigate the genetic features of this individual, we extracted genomic DNA from the right petrous bone and performed shotgun sequencing. As a result of sequencing for 5 NGS libraries, the genome data with 0.98x of average depth was obtained. The typical deamination pattern and sufficiently low modern DNA contamination rate were observed, ensuring the DNA authenticity. The mtDNA haplotype of NAT004 was assigned to haplogroup D4m2a, which is previously observed among the modern Nivkh population. NAT004 genome was adequately explained as an admixed individual between the Jomon and Kamchatka lineages, or between the Jomon, Kamchatka, and Amur lineages.