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The Pahira: A population genetical study
Author(s) -
Basu Amitabha
Publication year - 1969
Publication title -
american journal of physical anthropology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.146
H-Index - 119
eISSN - 1096-8644
pISSN - 0002-9483
DOI - 10.1002/ajpa.1330310315
Subject(s) - abo blood group system , population , homogeneous , biology , allele , evolutionary biology , demography , allele frequency , population genetics , population structure , genetics , zoology , mathematics , gene , combinatorics , sociology
The Pahira is a small, primitive population of 1353 individuals inhabiting the hills and forests of the Ajodhya and the Dalma hill ranges in eastern India. Demographic, ABO blood groups, P.T.C. tasteblindness and anthropometric data are presented. The purpose of the present study is: to describe the biological characteristics of the population; to review the data from the point of view of the possible occurrence of maritally isolated, genetically different subpopulations within the population; to assess the possible causes of such differences, and to discuss the implications of such subpopulations and to examine the common assumption that allele frequencies throughout a population (i.e., among its several subpopulations) are homogeneous. It is shown that the Pahiras are divided into three subpopulations; that the subpopulations are different with respect to blood groups, tasteblindness and anhropometric measurements; that some of the variations show a clinal trend; that N.P. and S.P.I. are closer to each other than either of them to S.P.II; that such a breeding structure and genetic composition may have important evolutionary implications; that such a breeding structure emphasizes the importance of demographic information in population genetics; and, that our common assumption that allele frequencies throughout a population are homogeneous may not be valid.