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Polynesians from five distinct island groups were studied with DNA probe α3’HVR, a highly polymorphic VNTR (variable number of tandem repeats) minisatellite region associated with the α-globin gene cluster. Results showed a paucity of genetic heterozygosity together with clustering of α3’HVR alleles with α-globin DNA haplotypes and α-globin gene rearrangements. This restricted diversity is consistent with population bottlenecks in the colonization of Polynesia.

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