Interdisciplinary research on the lynx that inhabited the Japanese archipelago

Abstract

The excavation of archaeological remains improves understanding of past societies and their influence on the societies of today. It can also teach us about the changing climate and its impact on the migration of mammals. Professor Takao Sato, Department of Archaeology and Ethnology, Faculty of Letters, Keio University, Japan, has extensive experience in performing excavations and interdisciplinary research that combines archaeology, physical anthropology, palaeontology and geology on the Shitsukari-Abe Cave in Aomori, Japan. A key focus is on the large wild cats that once lived in the Japanese archipelago, with a focus on the extinction of the lynx. Sato believes that one of the factors that led to the local extinction of the lynx was human activity. He and his team set out to excavate Shitsukari-Abe Cave in an effort to discover the first Palaeolithic human bones associated with stone tools and animal bones in the four major islands (Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku and Kyushu). In a world first, the researchers have obtained the numerical age of the Japanese lynx and are also shedding light on the previously unknown phylogenetic information and diet. The team is employing an interdisciplinary approach that involves specialists in different fields of zooarchaeology, archaeology, palaeontology and phylogeography to comprehensively discuss the phylogeny and ecology of the lynx that inhabited the Japanese archipelago and their relationship with humans.