engleski

Isolation by distance in Middle Dalmatia, Croatia-analysis of serogenetic polymorphisms

The aim of this study was to investigate the applicability of Malecot's isolation by distance model in the study of genetic distances based on serogenetic polymorphisms among populations of four islands and one peninsula in Middle Dalmatia, Croatia. Genetic distances were calculated as standard E, and they were based on frequencies of 10 polymorphic systems: erythrocyte antigens (including seven genetic systems: ABO, Rh, Duffy, Kidd, P, Kell and Lutheran), and three additional erythrocyte enzyme systems (esterase D, acid phosphatase l and adenylate kinase l). Blood samples for this study were collected during anthropological field investigations of 26 village populations from the islands of Brač, Hvar, Korčula and peninsula of Pelješac, from a total of 3, 243 examinees. Taking into consideration that some of the villages are separated by both the land and the sea, the determination of geographic distance betwwen villages were calculated in two ways: (a) as the shortese likely road/road+sea distances in kilometers ; (b) as the shortest air distances in kilometers. The results showed a very poor regression of genetic distances to both of the aforementioned geographic distances, indicating that the Malecot's isolation by distance model is not adequate for the evaluation of (micro)evolutionary processes based on analysis of serogenetic polymorhisms. However, it has to be pointed out that the regression when using air distances (a=0.5745, b=1.4914, R=0.1123) was significantly better in comparison to the regression when using combines road and sea distances (a=0.0574, b=114.7555, R=0.0000). Mantel's test of matrix correspondence revealed that the correlation coefficient between genetic and air distances (r=0.06331), although very small, was still three times greater than the correlation coefficient between genetic and combines road and sea distances (r=0.02064). Multiple regression analysis showed that the coefficient of multiple determination when both geographic distance matrices were included amounted to R=0.0112. Apart from the finding that genetic distances based on serogenetic polymorhisms do not behave as expected according to Malecot's isolation by distance model, one can conclude that the air distances appear to be geographic distances that should be used in this model in order to achieve the highest regression scores.

population genetics; anthropology; isolation by distance; Middle Dalmatia; serogenetic polymorphisms

nije evidentirano