EFFECTS OF RELIGION, ECONOMICS, AND GEOGRAPHY ON GENETIC-STRUCTURE OFFOGO ISLAND, NEWFOUNDLAND

The population structure of Fogo Island, Newfoundland is described usi ng geography, religious affiliation, economic factors (such as the pre sence of a fish-packing plant), and genetic markers. Five different an alytic methods, R-matrix analysis, r(ii) vs. mean per locus heterozygo sity, predicted kinship (phi), mean first passage time, and Mantel mat rix comparisons, were applied to the Fogo Island genetic and demograph ic data. The results suggest that geography plays a role on Fogo Islan d in the distribution of genes, while religion, ethnicity, and economi c factors play less significant roles. The communities with fish-packi ng plants and tourism serve as migratory ''sinks'' for Fogo islanders seeking employment. Reproductively, the most isolated village on Fogo Island is Tilting, and this is reflected in its genetic uniqueness, in itially caused by Irish settlement and subsequently the action of stoc hastic processes. (C) 1995 Wiley-Liss, Inc.