Ancient beans were excavated at the 6,000-years-old layer in Sannai-Maruyama archaeological site, Aomori, Japan. Because their morphology did not allow definite taxonomic identifications, DNA of the ancient beans was extracted to identify their species on the basis of molecular data. The genomic DNAs were amplified using PCR technique for chloroplast microsatellites and plastid-subtype ID sequence between rpl 16 and rpl 14 genes. As comparative taxa, the following modern bean species were examined, mung beans, azuki beans, wild soybean, and cultivated soybean. The DNA analysis suggests that at least some ancient beans from the Sannai-Maruyama site may belong to soybeans. Although at least some of those ancient soybeans appear to be the wild type, there is no reason to dismiss the possibility that ancient villagers at the site practiced a primitive form of soybean domestication.

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 The relationship between the height of tooth crown (CH) and total body length (TL) in the modern common thresher shark, Alopias vulpinus (Bonnaterre) (Lamniformes: Alopiidae), is examined using regression analyses. The results suggest: 1) that an increase in the CH of each tooth through replacement is proportional to the increase in the TL, 2) that the CH can be used to predict the TL, and 3) that distally located teeth develop faster through replacement compared to mesially located teeth. The regression equations presented here can be used to estimate the TL of fossil Alopias.

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 Foraminiferal fossils from the lower Pleistocene around Seikan district were investigated to reconstruct palegeography in this district. Warm water planktonic foraminiferal fossils occurred from two horizons. Planktonic fauna from these horizons were slightly different. Lower horizon was characterized by occurrence of Globorotalia inflata inflata, and upper Globigerinoides ruber. Warm water benthic foraminiferal species such as Hanzawaia nipponica and Paracassidulina sagamiensis, were accompanied with only the upper horizon. This difference may be reflect the character of the warm currents. Early warm current might not be warm enough for G. ruber. These warm currents might flow through the paleo-Tsugaru Strait. Warm water foraminiferal fossils from the lower Pleistocene strata in the Seikan district might be brought by branches of those warm currents.

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 Some Shikkari specimens that were found from Higashi-doori, Shimokita-gun, Aomori Prefecture, northern Honshu, Japan in 1970 were originally kept at Kyoto University. Before these specimens are relocated from Kyoto University to Aomori Prefectural Museum, we investigated their morphological features and age using AMS¹⁴C dating.
 Consequently, it was recognized that these specimens consist of seven molars and a mandibular fragment of Palaeoloxodon naumanni, and a distal part of a radius of Shinomegaceros yabei. ¹⁴C dating of three molars gives a range of 31,470 to 23,570 yrBP (conventional radiocarbon age). As many small specimens are included in the Shikkari material, the opinion that the specimens in Marine isotope stage (MIS) 3 were of a large size as suggested by Kondo (2003, 2005) requires reconsideration.

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