GENETIC-VARIATION IN THE POPULATION OF IBIZA (SPAIN) - GENETIC-STRUCTURE, GEOGRAPHY, AND LANGUAGE

A sample of 203 individuals from Ibiza (Balearic Islands, Spain) were tested for blood group and serum protein genetic variation and compare d with other circum-Mediterranean populations. Allele frequencies were calculated for the following blood group and serum systems: ABO, Rh, MNSs, P, Lewis, Duffy, Kell, ORM, GC, TF, PI, and HP. The allele frequ encies from Ibiza were compared with those from other Balearic Islands (Majorca and Minorca) and with related European and North African gro ups using an assortment of analytical methods (genetic distances, R ma trix analysis, and Mantel tests), R matrix analysis revealed that Ibiz a is genetically different from the other Balearic populations and, be cause of gene flow from Spain, clusters with European groups. The leve l of genetic microdifferentiation of the Mediterranean populations, me asured by R(ST) (average of the R matrix diagonal elements, r(ii)), is 0.028, An examination of the relationship between genetic, geographic , and linguistic distances by Mantel tests revealed that genetic dista nces are significantly correlated with linguistic distances, whereas t he genetic distances are not significantly correlated with geographic distances, The plot of mean per locus heterozygosity versus the geneti c distance from the centroid of distribution revealed that all three B alearic Islands have experienced considerable gene flow but that Ibiza has been most affected by the action of stochastic processes.