Serogenetic investigations of Tibetans and Himachalis from Himachal Pradesh, India: Genetic relationship between Tibetans and certain selected mongoloid populations

Abstract

Twenty two serogenetic systems were investigated in 115 Tibetans and 128 Himachalis from the state of Himachal Pradesh, north-west India. For eight of the loci (ABO, Rh, MNSs, P, Fy, 6PGD, EsD, and AK) the two populations showed conclusive heterogeneity and their frequency distribution showed that the serogenetic differences between two populations are due to their different racial affliations. The Tibetans were also analysed for their genetic relationship with certain selected populations from the Cis-Himalayan, far east and south Asian regions. The calculations of the Harpending's kinship matrix R and the genetic distances showed that the Tibetans are closer to the mongoloid populations of the Cis-Himalayan region and the differences in the present day population structure of the mongoloid groups of this region are more likely to be due to differential migration, admixture and racial affliation although there is a slight possibility of disruptive selection for certain loci such as 6PGD and AK which showed an exceptionally high value of Canning (6PGD*C) and AK*1 genes. © 1989 The Japan Society of Human Genetics.