Genetic data on Alghero population (Sardinia): Contrast between biological and cultural evidence

Abstract

Data on 20 genetic polymorphisms (61 alleles) in the Algehero population on the northwestern coast of Sardinia are presented and discussed in relation to its linguistic peculiarity inside the island. Since the Aragonese (Spain) conquest of Sardinia in the 13th century, the Catalan language, the same as that spoken in Northeastern Spain and certain districts of Southern France, has been used in Alghero even until today. Analysis for heterogeneity of gene frequency distributions indicates that the genetic information obtained on Alghero is adequate to discriminate Sardinians from other neighbouring populations. Genetic variation between populations measured through genetic distances and principal-component analysis shows that the present-day population of Alghero is much closer genetically to Sardinians than to Catalonians. Our genetic results do not support any interpretation of the linguistic affinities between Alghero and Catalonia at present as indicative of biological kinship.

Genetic diversity in Northern Spain (Basque Country and Cantabria): GM and KM variation related to demographic histories

“…These values are similar in magnitude to values found among Mediterranean regions for 15 genetic markers. 39 The F ST values obtained from KM were substantially smaller than those for GM. On trying to find a geographic pattern of gene variation, a hierarchical F ST analysis of the Pyrenean populations grouped into three main regions (Western, Central and Eastern Pyrenees, Table 6) indicated that there was no differentiation among regions, the diversity within regions being equivalent to the total interpopulation divergence (Table 6).…”

Palmar pattern frequencies as indicators of relationships among Sardinian linguistic groups of males

“…It is, however, necessary to underline that, from dermatoglyphic distances (Floris & Sanna, 1993) and genetic polymorphisms (Moral et al, 1994), it has been hypothesized that present-day Catalan speaking Algheresi would be biologically closer to Sardinians than to Catalans. Furthermore, it should be noted that according to Budruni (1989) the 1665 population of Alghero was composed of 70% individuals of Sardinian origin, 20% of Italian origin and 7% of Catalan origin (the origin of the remaining percentage is not specified).…”

Review Synthetic Article: Sardinian Population (Italy): a Genetic Review

“…A study based on the frequencies of several classical genetic markers shows some of the distinctive features that set Sardinians apart from other Mediterranean populations: very high frequencies of RH*Cde, MN*M, PGM1*1 and a very low value of RH*cde (Moral et al, 1994). The genetic distances of Reynolds (Reynolds et al, 1983) were used, through Delauney's triangulation and the Monmonier algorithm (Monmonier, 1973), to identify the presence of genetic boundaries within the Mediterranean basin.…”

“…The genetic peculiarity of Sardinians was interpreted as the result of genetic drift and geographic isolation, with a limited genetic impact from conquests of the islands during history (Moral et al, 1994;Calò et al, 2001). …”