ELECTROPHORETIC PROTEIN POLYMORPHISMS IN KAINGANG AND GUARANI INDIANSOF SOUTHERN BRAZIL

A total of 337 Kaingang and Guarani Indians from two localities were s tudied in relation to 18 protein genetic loci. In one of the localitie s, members of these two groups live side by side but show little genet ic similarity, emphasizing the influence of cultural factors in the ma ting behavior of human groups. Integrating the present results with pr evious ones, it was verified that the genetic relationships among six Kaingang populations do not follow the pattern expected from their geo graphical distribution. Comparisons made with three other Ge-speaking tribes indicate that the Kaingang did not separate well from them, Mos t (96%) of the variability in the six polymorphic systems considered o ccur at the intrapopulational level. (C) 1997 Wiley-Liss, Inc.