Demographic, medical and genetic information was obtained in a populat
ion of Carib-speaking Wai Wai Indians living in northern Brazil. At pr
esent mortality is low and Fertility moderate, with a low variance in
offspring number in completed families. Mobility is high, but about tw
o-thirds of the unions are endogamic. Malaria is the main health probl
em. Phenotype and allele frequencies were obtained for 27 protein gene
tic systems. Comparison with six other Carib groups indicates closest
affinities with another Amazonian tribe, the Arara. Quantification of
the intra- and interpopulation genetic diversity in these seven popula
tions indicate that the variation within groups is only slightly lower
than the variation between groups. The level of Carib interpopulation
diversity, on the other hand, does not differ significantly from that
found in 11 Tupi-speaking populations. In accordance with their histo
ry of intermarriage with groups which speak slightly different languag
es, and consider themselves as distinct, the Wai Wai are clearly more
diversified at the intrapopulation level than at least three of the si
x Carib populations with which they were compared.