The paper brings together information on several biological trait systems of the living Ainu and their ancestors, the Neolithic Jomon people of Japan. Relative age of various characters is assessed. Although the late Mongoloid admixture complicates the analysis, it may be shown with the aid of the evolutionary approach that Ainu (and Ryukyuans) are relics of an early stage of the Mongoloid stock, prior to its differentiation.