Revisiting the Diego Blood Group System in Amerindians: Evidence for Gene-Culture Comigration

• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0132211
• Publication Date: 2015-07-06T18:59:45Z
• Authors: Christophe Bégat; Pascal Bailly; Jacques Chiaroni; Stéphane Mazières
• Keywords: Male; MITOCHONDRIAL-DNA; Population genetics; RED-CELL; [SDV]Life Sciences [q-bio]; Science; Genetic loci; Human Migration; [SHS.ANTHRO-BIO]Humanities and Social Sciences/Biological anthropology; Culture; DIVERSITY; [SDV.BC]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Cellular Biology; 03 medical and health sciences; NATIVE-AMERICANS; Gene Frequency; SOUTH AMERINDIANS; Humans; POPULATION-STRUCTURE; [SDV.BC] Life Sciences [q-bio]/Cellular Biology; Alleles; 0303 health sciences; [SDV.GEN.GPO]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Genetics/Populations and Evolution [q-bio.PE]; Genetic polymorphism; Cultural Characteristics; Indians, South American; Q; Y-CHROMOSOME; R; population genetics; Linguistic geography; Indians, Central American; [SHS.ANTHRO-BIO] Humanities and Social Sciences/Biological anthropology; [SDV] Life Sciences [q-bio]; HUMAN EXPANSION; VARIABILITY; Native American people; Sociolinguistics; [SDV.GEN.GPO] Life Sciences [q-bio]/Genetics/Populations and Evolution [q-bio.PE]; Blood Group Antigens; Medicine; AYOREO INDIANS; Female; Blood groups; blood group systems; Research Article

Six decades ago the DI*A allele of the Diego blood group system was instrumental in proving Native American populations originated from Siberia. Since then, it has received scant attention. The present study was undertaken to reappraise distribution of the DI*A allele in 144 Native American populations based on current knowledge. Using analysis of variance tests, frequency distribution was studied according to geographical, environmental, and cultural parameters. Frequencies were highest in Amazonian populations. In contrast, DI*A was undetectable in subarctic, Fuegian, Panamanian, Chaco and Yanomama populations. Closer study revealed a correlation that this unequal distribution was correlated with language, suggesting that linguistic divergence was a driving force in the expansion of DI*A among Native Americans. The absence of DI*A in circumpolar Eskimo-Aleut and Na-Dene speakers was consistent with a late migratory event confined to North America. Distribution of DI*A in subtropical areas indicated that gene and culture exchanges were more intense within than between ecozones. Bolstering the utility of classical genetic markers in biological anthropology, the present study of the expansion of Diego blood group genetic polymorphism in Native Americans shows strong evidence of gene-culture comigration.