SELECTION INTENSITY IN THE POPULATION OF THE KURSK OBLAST

Total selection indices and their components in the Kursk Oblast, calc ulated from Crow's equations, are: I-tot = 0.403, I-f = 0.345, I-m = 0 .043, The selection intensity was higher in rural than in urban popula tions. The levels of total selection and differential fertility in rur al populations depended on the genetic and demographic structure of th ese populations. An increase of homozygosity in the rural populations (decreases in the mean square distance between spouses' birthplaces an d in the frequency of long-range migrations, increase in ethnic assort ativeness, etc.) increased the selection intensity.