MODEL-BOUND AND MODEL-FREE APPROACH IN THE STUDY OF POPULATION-STRUCTURE - EXAMPLE FROM THE PENINSULA OF PELJESAC, CROATIA

Within the framework of holistic anthropological investigations of the rural populations of the eastern Adriatic, Croatia, various measures of biological (polygenic system) distances (anthropometrical, physiolo gical, metacarpal bone and dermatoglyphic traits), genetic (monogenic system of erythrocyte antigens), socio-cultural (linguistic) and bio-c ultural distances (kinship coefficient estimated from migrational data ) between inhabitants of six populations (villages) of Peljesac penins ula were calculated. Ln the analysis of the population structure, the model-bound (Malecot's isolation by distance) and model-free approach (analysis of the structure of rank-correlation matrices among differen t distance and similarity measures) were applied. The results revealed greater similarity in socio-cultural, bio-cultural and monogenic syst em distances than in polygenic system biological traits. The former gr oup of distances revealed better fir to the isolation-by-distance mode l, the effect of which exists among neighboring villages of Peljesac P eninsula, but disappears very quickly (after about 10 km) at the borde rs of historically restricted parishes (''contrade''). The authors dis cuss the application of model-bound and model-free approach in the stu dy of population structure, stressing the dependence of the rate of (m icro) evolutionary processes upon the historical processes that favore d or restricted the gene flow. Results of different processes of homog enization and/or selective inertia were discussed, on strictly biologi cal, biocultural and socio-cultural traits in the formation of populat ion structure.