<p>At the northern and southern ends of the Sea of Japan, there are only short stretches of very shallow sea separating Japan from the mainland. During the Ice Age which ended 12,000 years ago, sea levels were much lower than they are today. It is probable that during the last Ice Age there were land bridges connecting Japan to the mainland at these two points.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-07-28T13:48:20.867Z
2019-07-28T13:48:20.867Z
Michael Walsby
<p>In a letter by Charles Darwin to Asa Gray, introducing to him an abstract about what would Origin of Species, he talked about migration of different forms during the glacial epoch, and the reason why you could find European forms in the tropics. He then said:
From mammalia and shallow sea, I believe
Japan to have been joined to main land of China within no
remote period ; and then the migration north and south before,
during, and after the Glacial epoch would act on Japan,
as on the corresponding latitude of China and the United
States.</p>

<p>I wonder which sea he meant by "shallow sea", and why could this be reason to think that Japan and China were joined?</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-07-28T16:13:38.170Z
Hi. I'm glad you want to participate. However, your question is worded to imply that you doubt Darwin's statement. Please edit the question to explain why you doubt it.
Spencer
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-07-28T19:12:50.537Z
Reference: [letter by Charles Darwin to Asa Gray on 11 August 1858](https://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/letter/?docId=letters/DCP-LETT-2321.xml).
David Hammen
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-07-29T14:46:26.130Z
Likely the Korea Strait and the Strait of Tartary, both are shallow and narrow. Honestly this could be answered by just looking at a seafloor map of Japan.
John
<paleontology><glaciation><evolution>
Darwin theory about Japan and China
tenos
# Darwin theory about Japan and China

(Asked by: username_0 on 2019-07-28)

In a letter by Charles Darwin to Asa Gray, introducing to him an abstract about what would Origin of Species, he talked about migration of different forms during the glacial epoch, and the reason why you could find European forms in the tropics. He then said:
From mammalia and shallow sea, I believe
Japan to have been joined to main land of China within no
remote period ; and then the migration north and south before,
during, and after the Glacial epoch would act on Japan,
as on the corresponding latitude of China and the United
States.

I wonder which sea he meant by "shallow sea", and why could this be reason to think that Japan and China were joined?

**Tags:** paleontology, glaciation, evolution

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Hi. I'm glad you want to participate. However, your question is worded to imply that you doubt Darwin's statement. Please edit the question to explain why you doubt it.  
> **username_2**: Reference: [letter by Charles Darwin to Asa Gray on 11 August 1858](https://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/letter/?docId=letters/DCP-LETT-2321.xml).  
> **username_3**: Likely the Korea Strait and the Strait of Tartary, both are shallow and narrow. Honestly this could be answered by just looking at a seafloor map of Japan.  

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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_4 on 2019-07-28. Score: 2

At the northern and southern ends of the Sea of Japan, there are only short stretches of very shallow sea separating Japan from the mainland. During the Ice Age which ended 12,000 years ago, sea levels were much lower than they are today. It is probable that during the last Ice Age there were land bridges connecting Japan to the mainland at these two points.


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