The Wai Wai Indians of South America: history and genetics

Demographic, medical and genetic information was obtained in a population of Carib-speaking Wai Wai Indians living in northern Brazil. At present mortality is low and fertility moderate, with a low variance in offspring number in completed families. Mobility is high, but about two-thirds of the unions are endogamic. Malaria is the main health problem. Phenotype and allele frequencies were obtained for 27 protein genetic systems. Comparison with six other Carib groups indicates closest affinities with another Amazonian tribe, the Arara. Quantification of the intra- and interpopulation genetic diversity in these seven populations indicate that the variation within groups is only slightly lower than the variation between groups. The level of Carib interpopulation diversity, on the other hand, does not differ significantly from that found in 11 Tupi-speaking populations. In accordance with their history of intermarriage with groups which speak slightly different languages, and consider themselves as distinct, the Wai Wai are clearly more diversified at the intrapopulation level than at least three of the six Carib populations with which they were compared.