HUMAN GENETIC DIVERSITY (IMMUNOGLOBULIN GM ALLOTYPES), LINGUISTIC DATA, AND MIGRATIONS OF AMERINDIAN TRIBES

GM haplotype frequencies were examined in 49 Amerindian tribes (from N orth, Central, and South America) to investigate the congruence of gen etic variation with that observed in language and geography. We used t wo approaches: (1) the mobile site method, which allows a two-dimensio nal representation of genetic variation where the distances between re ference points (i.e., the locations of the populations in the geograph ic map after displacements) are close to the genetic distances, and (2 ) a multivariate analysis (factorial correspondence analysis), which p ermits a visual interpretation of the geographic distribution of GM ha plotypes on a map, completed by a cluster analysis. The results show a strong gradient from the Bering Strait to South America. The Eskimo a nd Na-Dene are genetically different from all other Amerindians, refle cting their more recent migrations, The orientation of most trajectori es of the tribes from Central and South America can be interpreted as earlier migrations along the Pacific and Atlantic coasts. We conclude that geographic and linguistic factors played a part in the genetic di versity of Amerindian tribes.