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The series of papers in this special issue of Human Biology use an interdisciplinary approach to address regional questions and to integrate disparate Aleutian data into a broad, synthetic effort. [...]

We examine surname distribution, origin, and association with Y-chromosome haplogroups in native communities from the Aleutian archipelago. The underlying hypothesis is that surnames and Y-chromosome haplogroups should be associated because both are paternally inherited markers. We used Lasker's coefficient of relationship through isonymy (Rib) to identify the distribution of 143 surnames in the Aleutian Islands. The geographic distribution of surnames was explored both through frequency distribution and through the use of Mantel tests. Multidimensional scaling, chi-square, and Mantel tests were used to examine the relationship between surname and Y-chromosome markers. Overall, we observed that the distribution of surnames in the Aleutian archipelago is culturally driven rather than being one of paternal inheritance. Surnames follow a gradient from east to west, with high frequencies of Russian surnames found in western Aleut communities and high levels of non-Russian surnames found in eastern Aleut communities. A nonsignificant correlation (r = -0.0132; P = 0.436) was found between distance matrices based on haplogroups of the nonrecombining portion of the Y chromosome and surnames, although an association was found between non-Russian surnames and the predominantly non-Russian haplogroups (R1b, I1a, and I). KEY WORDS: ALEUT POPULATION, SURNAMES, ISONYMY, LASKER'S COEFFICIENT, Y-CHROMOSOME MARKERS, Y-CHROMOSOME HAPLOGROUPS., We examine the distribution and origins of surnames and their association with Y-chromosome haplogroups in native communities from the Aleutian archipelago. As a proxy for genetic markers, surnames have been [...]

We summarize the results of a field and laboratory research program (1999-2006) in the Aleutian Islands on the origins of the inhabitants of the archipelago and the genetic structure of these populations. The Aleuts show closest genetic affinity to the contemporary Siberian Eskimos and Chukchi of Chukotka and differ significantly from the populations of Kamchatka (the terminus of the archipelago) and Alaskan Eskimos. Our findings support the hypothesis that the ancestors of the Aleuts crossed Beringia and expanded westerly into the islands approximately 9,000 years ago. The Monmonier algorithm indicates genetic discontinuity between contemporary Kamchatkan populations and western Aleut populations, suggesting that island hopping from Kamchatka into the western Aleutian Islands was highly unlikely. The primary determinant of the distribution of genes throughout the archipelago is geography. The most intimate relationship exists between the genetics (based on mtDNA sequences and intermatch/mismatch distances) and geographic distances (measured in kilometers). However, the Y-chromosome haplogroup frequencies are not significantly correlated with the geography of the Aleutian Islands. The underlying patterns of precontact genetic structure based on Y-chromosome markers of the Aleut populations is obscured because of the gene flow from Russian male colonizers and Scandinavian and English fishermen. We consider alternative theories about the peopling of the Americas from Siberia. In addition, we attempt a synthesis between archaeological and genetic data for the Aleutian Islands. KEY WORDS: MITOCHONDRIAL DNA SEQUENCES, Y-CHROMOSOME MARKERS, GENETIC DISCONTINUITY, GENETIC STRUCTURE, ALEUTIAN ARCHIPELAGO, SIBERIAN ESKIMOS, ALASKAN ESKIMOS, CHUKCHI, KAMCHATKA, ALEUTS., Until the mid-1980s and the development of molecular methods, the reconstruction of human origins was based primarily on archaeological, morphological, linguistic, and genetic data. The genetic characterizations of populations were [...]

We typed a subset of the Aleut population for HLA loci (HLA-A, HLA-B, HLA-DRB1, HLA-DQB1) to obtain an HLA profile, which was compared to other Eurasian and Amerindian populations for studying Aleut origin and its significance on the peopling of the Americas. Allele frequencies at the four loci were identified in an Aleut sample using standard indirect DNA sequencing methods. Genetic distances with Amerindians and Eurasians were obtained by comparing Aleut allele frequencies with a worldwide population database (13,164 chromosomes). The most frequently extended HLA haplotypes were also calculated. We also generated Aleut relatedness dendrograms and calculated correspondence relatedness in a multidimensional scale. Both neighbor-joining dendrograms and correspondence analysis separated Aleuts from Eskimos and Amerindians. Aleuts are closer genetically to Europeans, including Scandinavians and English. Our results are concordant with those obtained by Y-chromosome analysis, suggesting that most male Aleut ancestors of our sample came mainly from Europe. KEY WORDS: ALEUTS, AMERINDIANS, EUROPEANS, FINNS, HLA., Aleuts are closely linked to the Eskimos with regard to the peopling of the Americas, but according to cultural and anthropological parameters, they have a distinct culture and a different [...]

KEY TERMS: JOURNAL HISTORY., The journal Human Biology was founded 75 years ago by Raymond Pearl, an eminent biologist and Professor of Biometry and Vital Statistics at Johns Hopkins University. In celebration of the [...]

The mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) variation in 179 Aleuts from five different islands (Atka, Unalaska, Umnak, St. Paul, and St. George) and Anchorage was analyzed to better understand the origins of Aleuts and their role in the peopling of the Americas. Mitochondrial DNA samples were characterized using polymerase chain reaction amplification, restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis, and direct sequencing of the first hypervariable segment (HVS-I) of the control region. This study showed that Aleut mtDNAs belonged to two of the four haplogroups (A and D) common among Native Americans. Haplogroup D occurred at a very high frequency in Aleuts, and this, along with their unique HVS-I sequences, distinguished them from Eskimos, Athapaskan Indians, and other northern Amerindian populations. While sharing several control region sequences (CIR11, CHU14, CIR60, and CIR61) with other circumarctic populations, Aleuts lacked haplogroup A mtDNAs having the 16265G mutation that are specific to Eskimo populations. R-matrix and median network analyses indicated that Aleuts were closest genetically to Chukotkan (Chukchi and Siberian Eskimos) rather than to Native American or Kamchatkan populations (Koryaks and Itel'men). Dating of the Beringian branch of haplogroup A (16192T) suggested that populations ancestral to the Aleuts, Eskimos, and Athapaskan Indians emerged approximately 13,120 years ago, while Aleut-specific A and D sublineages were dated at 6539 ± 3511 and 6035 ± 2885 years, respectively. Our findings support the archaeologically based hypothesis that ancestral Aleuts crossed the Bering Land Bridge or Beringian platform and entered the Aleutian Islands from the east, rather than island hopping from Kamchatka into the western Aleutians. Furthermore, the Aleut migration most likely represents a separate event from those responsible for peopling the remainder of the Americas, meaning that the New World was colonized through multiple migrations. KEY WORDS: NATIVE AMERICANS, SIBERIANS, PEOPLING OF AMERICAS, MTDNA, HAPLOGROUPS, SEQUENCES, Our study focuses on the origin of the Aleuts, an Alaskan population located near the entry point into the Americas. The people who first settled the Aleutian Islands are believed [...]

Ruhlen's hypothesis, based on linguistic evidence, for a common phylogenetic origin of Na-Dene and Yeniseian speakers is tested using genetic data. Gene frequency data for the Kets, the only surviving Yeniseian speakers, were collected during a field study in 1993. Data for several NaDene groups, as well as other New World and Siberian populations, were compiled from the literature. These data were analyzed using R-matrix, principal components analysis, and Mantel tests. In a comparison of 10 New World and Siberian populations using eight alleles, 55.8% of the variation was accounted for by the first principal component, and 22.1% of the variation was subsumed by the second principal component. Contrary to Ruhlen's interpretation of the linguistic data, analysis of the genetic data shows that the Na-Dene cluster with other Native American populations, while the Kets genetically resemble the surrounding Siberian groups. This conclusion is further supported by correlations that are higher when the Kets are considered unrelated to Na-Dene speakers, and an insignificant partial correlation between genes and language when geography is held constant, indicating that spatial patterning accounts for most of the variation present in these populations. KEY WORDS: NA-DENE, YENISEIAN, KETS, POPULATION GENETICS, Considerable debate has occurred over the validity of treating linguistic and genetic data as analogous measures of human relationships. Some linguists argue that these data are not comparable (Bateman et [...]

In this introduction to this special issue of Human Biology titled 'Anthropological Genetics in the 21st Century,' I briefly review the historical roots of anthropological genetics and the origins and [...]

We examined the distributions of seven polymorphic sites in three apolipoprotein genes (APOE, APOA4, and APOH) and their relationships with quantitative lipid levels (total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, and triglycerides) among the Evenki reindeer herders of central Siberia. The polymorphism data reveal several distinctive features that differentiate the Evenki from white populations: the near absence of the APOE*2 allele, the highest ever recorded frequency of the APOH*3 allele, the complete absence of the APOA*2 allele at codon 360, and significantly different frequencies at three other APOA4 polymorphic sites. Our analyses of the relationships of common apolipoprotein polymorphism and plasma lipid levels also revealed interesting results. The well-established positive association between the APOE*4 allele and LDL cholesterol level reported in white populations was not seen in the Evenki despite a comparable frequency of the APOE*4 allele. Because the Evenki have significantly lower cholesterol levels than Westernized whites, this difference in allelic effect probably reflects gene-diet interaction, which modulates the effect of APOE polymorphism on LDL cholesterol. At the APOA4 locus the HincII polymorphism at codon 127 shows a significant impact on plasma triglyceride variation in the Evenki sample: The HincII - allele was associated with higher triglyceride levels than the HincII + allele. Our data indicate that both the genetic and the environmental factors conventionally associated with cardiovascular disease risk in Western societies are different in the Evenki., Apolipoproteins (apo, protein; APO, gene) are the protein moieties of plasma lipoprotein particles that play an important role in the secretion, processing, and catabolism of lipoproteins. Genetic studies carried out [...]

Various anthropological analyses have documented extensive regional variation among populations on the subcontinent of India using morphological, protein, blood group, and nuclear DNA polymorphisms. These patterns are the product of complex population structure (genetic drift, gene flow) and a population history noted for numerous branching events. As a result, the interpretation of relationships among caste populations of South India and between Indians and continental populations remains controversial. The Hindu caste system is a general model of genetic differentiation among endogamous populations stratified by social forces (e.g., religion and occupation). The mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) molecule has unique properties that facilitate the exploration of population structure. We analyzed 36 Hindu men born in Andhra Pradesh who were unrelated matrilineally through at least 3 generations and who represent 4 caste populations: Brahmin (9), Yadava (10), Kapu (7), and Relli (10). Individuals from Africa (36), Asia (36), and Europe (36) were sampled for comparison. A 200-base-pair segment of hypervariable segment 2 (HVS2) of the mtDNA control region was sequenced in all individuals. In the Indian castes 25 distinct haplotypes are identified. Aside from the Cambridge reference sequence, only two haplotypes are shared between caste populations. Middle castes form a highly supported cluster in a neighbor-joining network. Mean nucleotide diversity within each caste is 0.015, 0.012, 0.011, and 0.012 for the Brahmin, Yadava, Kapu, and Relli, respectively. mtDNA variation is highly structured between castes ([G.sub.ST] = 0.17; p < 0.002). The effects of social structure on mtDNA variation are much greater than those on variation measured by traditional markers. Explanations for this discordance include (1) the higher resolving power of mtDNA, (2) sex-dependent gene flow, (3) differences in male and female effective population sizes, and (4) elements of the kinship structure. Thirty distinct haplotypes are found in Africans, 17 in Asians, and 13 in Europeans. Mean nucleotide diversity is 0.019, 0.014, 0.009, and 0.007 for Africans, Indians, Asians, and Europeans, respectively. These populations are highly structured geographically ([G.sub.ST] = 0.15; p < 0.001). The caste populations of Andhra Pradesh cluster more often with Africans than with Asians or Europeans. This is suggestive of admixture with African populations. KEY WORDS: mtDNA, ANDHRA PRADESH, CASTES, EVOLUTION, POPULATION STRUCTURE, South Asian evolutionary history is notable for successive migrations of many different peoples from Central and East Asia, Africa, and Europe into the Indian subcontinent (Majumdar 1958). Among these groups [...]

A comparison of anthropometric data recently collected from a modern population of Evenki and data collected from a group of Evenki at the turn of the century by the Jesup expedition (Boas 1903) reveals a pattern of significant changes over this time period. The modern Evenki exhibit larger sitting height and biacromial breadth but smaller bizygomatic and nasal breadth and a shorter face. Although the differences in the postcranial characters might be attributable to improvements in health and nutrition over time, those of the head and face might also indicate increased gene flow, perhaps from European populations. The comparative analysis of the anthropometric data was expanded to a multivariate approach by use of canonical variate analysis. This analysis was performed using data from the 10 populations sampled during the Jesup expedition along with the data from a sample of modern Evenki. In general, a pattern of relationships emerged, reflecting known population interactions and linguistic affiliations to a certain extent. However, the sample of modern Evenki differed substantially from all the other samples in the analysis. Although such a separation of the modern Evenki from this set of historical Siberian populations may be the result of a secular trend, it is also highly probable that it reflects new patterns of gene flow resulting from interactions and events associated with Russian colonial expansion and in this century the establishment of the Soviet state. KEY WORDS: EVENKI, ADMIXTURE, FRANZ BOAS, CANONICAL VARIATE ANALYSIS, The story of human occupation in Siberia is an old one, with evidence of widespread human populations by the middle Paleolithic (Arutiunov and Fitzhugh 1988; Fagan 1987; Levin and Potapov [...]

In 1980 and 1981 Mennonite descendants of a group of Russian immigrants participated in a multidisciplinary study of biological aging. The Mennonites live in Goessel, Kansas, and Henderson, Nebraska. In 1991 the survival status of the participants was documented by each church secretary. Data are available for 1009 individuals, 177 of whom are now deceased. They ranged from 20 to 95 years in age when the data were collected. Biological ages were computed using a stepwise multiple regression procedure based on 38 variables previously identified as being related to survival, with chronological age as the dependent variable. Standardized residuals place participants in either a predicted-younger or a predicted-older group. The independence of the variables biological age and survival status is tested with the chi-square statistic. The significance of biological age differences between surviving and deceased Mennonites is determined by t test values. The two statistics provide consistent results. Predicted age group classification and survival status are related. The group of deceased participants is generally predicted to be older than the group of surviving participants, although neither statistic is significant for all subgroups of Mennonites. In most cases, however, individuals in the predicted-older groups are at a relatively higher risk of dying compared with those in the predicted-younger groups, although the increased risk is not always significant., Barring disease and accidents, people age and, when old, die. Yet some people are perceived as old at age 50; others are perceived as young at age 70. Thus chronology, [...]

W. WEBER [1] D.J. NASH [2] A.G. MOTULSKY [3] MACIEJ HENNEBERG [4] MICHAEL H. CRAWFORD [5] S.K. MARTIN [6] J.M. GOLDSMID [7] G. SPEDINI [8] S. GLIDEWELL [9] M. S. [...]

We report the distribution of the APOB signal peptide polymorphism in 5 native populations of South America: 2 samples of Mataco and 1 sample each of Pilaga and Toba from the Argentinian Chaco and 1 sample of Ache from the Paraguay forest. A randomly selected subsample of a previously studied sample from the Cayapa of Ecuador (Scacchi et al. 1997) was reanalyzed to investigate probable differences attributable to sampling, laboratory techniques, or interobserver error. The polymorphism observed in the signal peptide region of the APOB gene among native populations of South America exhibits the same range of variation found among geographic continental populations, confirming the high genetic heterogeneity of South Amerindians. Extremes in the allele prevalences were found among the Mataco and Ache, populations not far apart geographically. The small differences in genotype and allele frequencies between the subsample of the Cayapa analyzed here and the original Cayapa sample and between the 2 Mataco samples were not statistically significant and most likely were due to sampling error. KEY WORDS: APOLIPOPROTEIN B, SIGNAL PEPTIDE, AMERINDIANS, SOUTH AMERICA, Apolipoprotein B is a monomeric glycoprotein that plays a central role in lipoprotein metabolism and in maintaining the normal homeostasis of serum cholesterol levels (Sparks and Sparks 1985; Peacock et [...]

KARI E. NORTH [1,2] MICHAEL H. CRAWFORD [1] JOHN H. RELETHFORD [3] Abstract To further elucidate the relationship between geography and genetics in Ireland, we considered variation in anthropometric traits [...]

The Rama are a coastal population from southern Nicaragua who in large part were able to resist, at least for a time, the cultural changes and social reorganization brought on by colonial and modern influences. Historical information leaves the Rama origins and biological relationships with nearby extinct and extant groups ambiguous. The objective of this study was to examine the internal genetic microdifferentiation based on the first hypervariable region of the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) from a sample of approximately 20% of the population, and to expand the few available historical and anthropological data on the Rama by exploring the effects of cultural practices and historical events on genetic structure, providing an integrative perspective on the Rama genetic history. When considering differences in the spatial distribution and genetic diversity of the mtDNA haplotypes together with historical information on the Rama, a noteworthy pattern emerges. (a) Haplotypes are differentially distributed among a central Rama community (Punta Águila) compared with the other five peripheral communities (analysis of molecular variance: FCT = 0.10, p < 0.001), and their distribution is consistent with the historical relocation of this population after their split from Punta Gorda in the 18th century. (b) Differential genetic signatures found among central and peripheral Rama communities resemble two population histories: one of stability (haplogroup A2) and other of expansion (haplogroup B2), supporting the possibility that these patterns of genetic microdifferentiation between central and peripheral populations resulted from the 18th-century unification in southern Nicaragua of the Rama and a group of Voto migrants from Costa Rica that later split off and moved to the Bay of Bluefields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In April 1999, in an inscription to his autobiography, Happenings and Hearsay: Experiences of a Biological Anthropologist, Gabriel Ward Lasker wrote: 'To Mike Crawford, co-conspirator with me in promoting human [...]

Studies the effectiveness of a composite biological age score to predict ten-year survival among Kansas and Nebraska Mennonites. Significance of biological age differences between surviving and deceased Mennonites; Relationship between predicted age group classification and survival status.

The article discusses various articles published within the issue including one by R.A. Rogers and colleagues which evaluates theories concerning the early versus late entry of Siberians into the New World and another by D.G. Steele and J.F. Powell which summarizes the earliest available skeletal evidence from North America.