EVOLUTIONARY RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN BLACK SOUTH-AMERICAN AND AFRICAN POPULATIONS

Data related to ten protein genetic loci expressed in blood obtained f rom four South American black populations were compared with data from seven African countries. Estimates of admixture among South American blacks were revised, and several indexes of gene diversity and genetic distances between the 11 populations were calculated. The admixture v alues and genetic relationships observed among the South American blac k communities conform well with these expected on historical grounds, and they show only moderate reductions in genetic diversity.