According to the recent genetic studies the ryukyuan people share more alleles with the jōmon period 16 000 3 000 years ago hunter gatherers and ainu people than the yamato japanese have smaller genetic contributions from asian continental populations which supports the dual structure model of k. Hanihara 1991 a widely accepted theory which suggests that the yamato japanese are more. The term came to be used around the late 19th century to distinguish the settlers of mainland japan from minority ethnic groups who have settled the peripheral areas of japan.
