VARIABILITY OF GENETIC-MARKERS IN HIMACHAL-PRADESH, INDIA - VARIATIONAMONG THE SUBPOPULATIONS

The genetic composition of one tribal and two nontribal populations of the Chamba District, Himachal Pradesh, India, was studied by phenotyp e analyses of 25 genetic markers (9 blood groups, 13 red cell enzymes, and 3 serum proteins). Furthermore, the genetic structure of 11 popul ations from 3 districts, Chamba, Kangra, and Kinnaur of Himachal Prade sh, was also analyzed using data from 20 loci (57 alleles). Nine genet ic systems (ABO, Rh, FY, P, PGM, ACP, AK, PGD, and HP) showed highly s ignificant heterogeneity in the five populations of Kinnaur District, whereas among the six populations from Chamba and Kangra districts the genetic variation was low. The F-IS value at each locus for the five populations of Kinnaur District and the six populations from Chambra a nd Kangra districts was consistently higher than the F-ST estimates, s uggesting that the population structure of both regions is influenced by local random inbreeding. Although the role of selection in local ge netic differentiation cannot be ruled out, the present analyses indica te that local differentiation is mainly affected by geographic proximi ty, random inbreeding, and admixture.