Full text in pdf format

Biodiversity of South American Indians. A collation of multifactorial and single gene marker systems between Andean and tropical forest tribes

Francisco Rothhammer

Depto. de Biologia Celular y Genética, Faculdad de Medicina, Universidad de Chile, Casilla 70061 - Correo 7, Santiago, Chile. Fax: (+562) 737 3158

ABSTRACT

This article represents an effort to summarize very briefly some of the main findings obtained during 25 years of work among South American Indian populations. Patterns of variation of multifactorial traits such as dental traits, dermatoglyphics, anthropometrics and craniometrics, as well as migration data and single marker gene loci variation, are examined. Whenever possible, results obtained in Andean groups are compared with similar findings derived from tropical forest Indian data. It is concluded that the differences in magnitude of genetic variation encountered are ultimately the result of different cultural adaptations to regional environmental conditions.

Keywords: biodiversity; South American Indians; gene marker; Andean tribes; tropical forest tribes.

REFERENCES

Bailliet, G., Rothhammer, F., Carnese, F., Bravi, C. and Bianchi, N. (1994). Founder mitochondrial haplotypes in Amerindian populations. Am. J. Hum. Genet. 55: 27-33.

Bodmer, W.F. and Cavalli-Sforza, L.L. (1968). A migration matrix model for the study of random genetic drift. Genetics 59: 565-592.

Deka, R., Chakraborty, R., DeCroo, S., Rothhammer, F., Barton, S.A. and Ferrell, R.E. (1992). Characteristics of polymorphisms at a VNTR locus 3' to the apolipoprotein B gene in five human populations. Am. J. Hum. Genet. 51: 1325-1333.

Merriwether, D.A., Rothhammer, F. and Ferrell, R.E. (1994). Genetic variation in the New World: ancient teeth, bone, and tissue as sources of DNA. Experientia 50: 592-601.

Merriwether, D.A., Ferrell, R.E. and Rothhammer, F. (1995). mtDNA D-loop 6b-p deletion found in the Chilean Aymará: not a unique marker for Chibchan speaking Amerindians. Am. J. Hum. Genet. 56: 812-813.

Neel, J.V., Rothhammer, F. and Lingoes, J.C. (1974). The genetic structure of a tribal population, the Yanomama Indians. X Agreement between representation of village distances based on different sets of characteristics. Am. J. Hum. Genet. 26: 201-303.

Nei, M. (1973). Analysis of gene diversity in subdivided populations. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. 70: 3321-3323.

Palomino. H., Chakraborty, R. and Rothhammer, F. (1977). Dental morphology and population diversity. Human Biol. 49: 61.

Rothhammer, F. (1976). Medio ambiente y genes: contribuciones a la variabilidad morfológica humana. Medio Ambiente 1: 67.

Rothhammer, F. (1987). Biological Population History of Continental Chile. Racial History of Mankind. (Schwidetzky, I., ed.). R. Oldenbourg Verlag Munchen Wien, pp. 119-236.

Rothhammer, F. and Bianchi, N.O. (1995). Origin and distribution of B mtDNA lineage in South America. Am. J. Hum. Genet. 56: 1247-1248.

Rothhammer, F and Silva, C. (1990). Craniometrical variation among South American prehistoric populations: Climatic, altitudinal, chronological and geographic contributions. Am. J. Phys. Anthropol. 82: 9-17.

Rothhammer, F. and Spielman, R.S. (1972). Anthropometric variation in the Aymará: Genetic, geographic and topographic contributions. Amer. J. Hum. Genet. 14: 371-380.

Rothhammer, F., Chakraborty, R. and Llop, E. (1977). A collation of marker gene and dermatoglyphic variability at different levels of population differentiation. Am. J. Phys. Anthrop. 46: 51.

Rothhammer, F., Ferrell, R.E. and Chakraborty, R. (1990). Intratribal genetic differentiation as assessed through electrophoresis. The Aymará: Strategies in human adaptation to a rigorous environment. (Schull, W.J. and Rothhammer, F., eds.). Kluwer Academic Publishers.