Some Implications of the Genetical Concept of Race in Terms of Spatial Analysis

Birdsell, Joseph Benjamin

doi:10.1101/sqb.1950.015.01.028

Cited by 97 publications

(33 citation statements)

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“…This is another application of the Central Limit Theorem. Thus, the probability of drastic alterations in the mean values of these characters is small compared to single locus traits (Birdsell, 1950). Birdsell supported his hypothesis with data from contiguous and partially interbreeding Australian tribes.…”

Section: Theoretical Issuesmentioning

confidence: 51%

A multivariate approach to fingerprint variation in Papua New Guinea: Perspectives on the evolutionary stability of dermatoglyphic markers

Froehlich

Giles

1981

American J Phys Anthropol

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In the Markham Valley of Papua New Guinea, multivariate graphical displays of serological, anthropometric, and dermatoglyphic population structures are compared pursuant to the hypothesis that fingerprints have a slower velocity of evolutionary change and, therefore, are preferable biological markers for prehistorical reconstructions. Samples from nine villages, which represent three geographical and linguistic populations, are plotted in two dimensions using appropriate multivariate techniques for maximally portraying between sample variability. Both the serological and morphometric displays are found lacking in close clusters, which demonstrates a lack of congruence with the shared languages and, presumably, the ethnohistorical origins of the three populations. These discrepancies between biology and prehistory appear to reflect recent environmental and stochastic perturbations. On the other hand, fingerprint displays conform closely to language affiliations, relatively undisturbed by environmental variation and genetic drift.The relative congruence between ethnohistorical affiliation and fingerprint diversity is further corroborated by comparing the three measures of population structure with geographical distances, using partial rank correlations. In terms of explained variance, the level of association with fingerprints is more than twice than with anthropometry, and 13 times greater than with serology. Whereas metric and serological data provide distorted portrayals of known biohistorical relationships among the study populations, fingerprint data mirror these relationships. The theoretical foundations and consequences of this observation are discussed with respect to the broader question of polygenic versus monogenic biological markers.In a previous paper on the prehistorical implications of fingerprint data in Papua New Guinea (Froehlich and Giles, 19801, we argued that multivariate population comparisons with fingerprints support hypotheses of migration and gene flow along likely geographical pathways, corroborated by linguistic data and oral traditions. In other words, fingerprints provide a population structure which is compatible with processural models derived from language, geography, and ethnohistorical studies.Previous studies of anthropometric and serological variation have rarely portrayed known or suspected prehistorical relationships in Melanesia, seeming rather to reflect environmental differences or recent microevolutionary events. Thus, there is an implicit conclusion from successful prehistorical reconstructions t h a t fingerprints may be more phylogenetically stable than other biological

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Section: Theoretical Issuesmentioning

confidence: 51%

A multivariate approach to fingerprint variation in Papua New Guinea: Perspectives on the evolutionary stability of dermatoglyphic markers

Froehlich

Giles

1981

American J Phys Anthropol

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“…Since the focus here is on crania found within a particular region, i.e., geographical and not "ethnic" or "racial," there is no theoretical problem. These Maghreban crania are viewed as connoting a population based on Birdsell's (1950) spatial concept.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Studies of ancient crania from northern Africa

Keita

1990

American J Phys Anthropol

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Historical sources and archaeological data predict significant population variability in mid-Holocene northern Africa. Multivariate analyses of crania demonstrate wide variation but also suggest an indigenous craniometric pattern common to both late dynastic northern Egypt and the coastal Maghreb region. Both tropical African and European metric phenotypes, as well intermediate patterns, are found in mid-Holocene Maghreb sites. Early southern predynastic Egyptian crania show tropical African affinities, displaying craniometric trends that differ notably from the coastal northern African pattern. The various craniofacial patterns discernible in northern Africa are attributable to the agents of microevolution and migration.

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“…The only observed differentiation of Desert tribes is that two of the tribes from the North of the Desert territories (Jingili and Warumungu) plot on their own branch whereas those of the Central Desert (Arrernte, Luritja and Pintjatjatjara) and Western Desert (Wangkathaa and Tjupany) cluster on an adjacent branch. Although blood group and dermatoglyphic data support this finding, the Arrernte may be regarded as different from other desert groups because of Birdsell's (1950) hypothesis that Arrernte came from a relatively recent migration southward from the North of Australia. The isolation of the Arrernte from the Desert tribes to their west (Pintubi and Pitjantjatjara) is shown in blood group and serum protein allele frequencies and, to a lesser extent, dermatoglyphics (Mader 1965;Nicholls et al 1965;Robson and Parsons 1967).…”

Section: Fitzmaurice Malak Malakmentioning

confidence: 76%

A comprehensive analysis of microsatellite diversity in Aboriginal Australians

Walsh¹,

Mitchell²,

Watson³

et al. 2007

J Hum Genet

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Indigenous Australians have a unique evolutionary history that has resulted in a complex system of inter and intra-tribal relationships. While a number of studies have examined the population genetics of indigenous Australians, most have used a single sample to illuminate details of the global dispersal of modern humans and few studies have focussed on the population genetic features of the widely dispersed communities of the indigenous population. In this study we examine the largest Aboriginal Australian sample yet analysed (N = 8,868) at fifteen hypervariable autosomal microsatellite loci. A comprehensive analysis of differentiation indicates different levels of heterogeneity among indigenous peoples from traditional regions of Aboriginal Australia. The most genetically differentiated populations inhabit the North of the country, in particular the Tiwi of Melville and Bathurst islands, Arnhem Land (itself divided into West and East Arnhem), and Fitzmaurice regions. These tribal groups are most differentiated from other Aboriginal Australian tribes, especially those of the Central Desert regions, and also show marked heterogeneity from one another. These genetic findings are supportive of observations of body measurements, skin colour, and dermatoglyphic features which also vary substantially between tribes of the North (e.g. Arnhem Land) and Central Australian regions and, more specifically, between the Tiwi and West and East Arnhem tribes. This study provides the most comprehensive survey of the population genetics of Aboriginal Australia.

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Some Implications of the Genetical Concept of Race in Terms of Spatial Analysis

Cited by 97 publications

References 0 publications

A multivariate approach to fingerprint variation in Papua New Guinea: Perspectives on the evolutionary stability of dermatoglyphic markers

A multivariate approach to fingerprint variation in Papua New Guinea: Perspectives on the evolutionary stability of dermatoglyphic markers

Studies of ancient crania from northern Africa

A comprehensive analysis of microsatellite diversity in Aboriginal Australians

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