A rare variant of blood group A, A(finn), is used as a marker when studying
the Finnish population structure. Slow immigration is probably the main cause of the
primary enrichment of this gene that has not yet been described outside Finland.Practically
all the 98 propositi originated from the areas in the south-west and south-east that were
first settled in prehistoric times. This indicates that both were inhabited by the same
settlers, probably immigrating over the Gulf of Finland rather than using two different
routes.
The frequency of A(finn) in the first settled areas was estimated at approximately 1:1,000,
showing large local differences at community level, with estimated peaks as high as more
than 1%. The frequency distribution was analysed in a computer simulation programme;
the similarities with the observed distribution of A(finn) were compatible with the effect of
sampling and drift, causing substantial loss and large frequency deviations in the isolated
subpopulations.