engleski

Population structure of the rural communities on the Island of Krk (Croatia): A comparison of genetic, cultural and geographic data

The analysis of population structure of seven rural communities from the island of Krk involved the investigation of its genetic constitution and genetic structure, as well as the comparison of different sets of biological (genetic), bio-cultural (migration), cultural (linguistic) and geographic data. Genetic constitution was estimated based on the allelic frequencies of 9 tetranucleotide STR loci, 3 HLA class I loci, 5 HLA class II loci and 5 red blood cell enzyme and serum protein loci. Genetic structure was analysed based on the coefficients of genetic diversity GST and genetic kinship RST. Population structure was assessed either by analysing the structure of mutual relationships of biological, bio-cultural, cultural and geographic matrices through Mantel's test, or by assessing the relationship between biological, bio-cultural, cultural measures of distance and/or similarity and geographic distance by regression analysis of the "isolation by distance" model. Whereas one group of genetic markers (red blood enzymes, serum proteins and HLA polymorphisms) reflects heterogeneity of the studied rural communities (as an echo of important historical processes and migration patterns), the second group of genetic markers (STR polymorphisms) reflects the currently observed genetic homogeneity of the rural population from the island of Krk. The observed statistically significant positive correlations between the matrices of genetic (HLA) and linguistic distances indicate their possible co-evolution under conditions of genetic isolation (low gene flow). Furthermore, the observed statistically significant negative correlations between the matrices of genetic (STR) distances and the migration kinship of the 2nd and the 3rd cohort indicate temporal coincidence between genetic constitution and structure assessed from STRs and migration patterns in the period between 1892 and 1940. Finally, the observed statistically significant positive correlations between the matrices of genetic (STR) and geographic distances indicate isolation by distance.

population structure; island of Krk; population genetics; anthropology

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