Serum Albumin Polymorphism in North American Indians

Alloalbuminemia and the migrations of native Americans

“…Lower frequencies, from 0.034 to 0.01, are found among other Navajos (Johnston et al, 1969;Tanis et al, 1974) and the San Carlos Apache of Arizona (Schell et al, 1978). The latter range of low AZNa frequencies also occurs among Algonkian speakers, among them Naskapi Indian communities in Labrador (Schell et al, 1978), Blackfoot (Polesky and Rokala, 1967;Rokala et al, 19761, Chippewa (Tanis et al, 19741, Cree (Bowen et al, 19711, ChippewdCree (Weitkamp, 1973), and some Ojibwa groups (Tanis et al, 1974;Polesky and Rokala, 1967;Szathmary et al, 1974) in the forested and plains areas of Canada and the United States. The lowest frequencies are found among the Northern Ojibwa (Szathmary et al, 19741, some ChippewdCree (Weitkamp et al, 19681, Dogrib (Szathmary et al, 19831, Sioux (Melartin and Blumberg, 1966a), Assiniboine (Bowen et al, 19711, Pima (Franklin et al, 1980), and Hopi Indians whose blood was collected at the residential Sherman Schell et al, 1978.…”

Human serum albumin: twenty‐three genetic variants and their population distribution

“…Three of these are polymorphic in specific populations. The highest gene frequencies, up to 0.14, occur for the Naskapi variant which is limited to North American Indians and Eskimoes (Melartin, 1967 ;Weitkamp et al 1967 ;Polesky & Rokala, 1967;Melartin et al 1968). Albumin Mexico has been found in the Indians of the south-western United States and Mexico at a gene frequency as high as 0.03 Melartin, 1967;Lisker et al 1971).…”

Serum Protein Polymorphisms in Indians of Western Canada

“…Albumin Naskapi has been found in all groups of Algonkians and Athabascans studied to date [M elartin and Blumberg, 1966;Polesky and Rokala, 1967; S corr and W r ig h t , 1969] inclusive of the present study. Our estimate of 0.098 for Athabascans is the highest reported for this group and provides a further illustration of the phenomenon of genetic drift.…”

“…Until several years ago it was believed that structural variants of this protein were rare. It is now known that such variants are not uncommon among some groups of Indians in North America [Melartin and Blumberg, 1966;Polesky and Rokala, 1967;Polesky el a!., 1968] and in Mexico ,…”