Effects of religion, economics, and geography on genetic structure of Fogo Island, Newfoundland

• Published in: American Journal of Human Biology
• Main Authors: Crawford, M. H., Koertevlyessy, T., Huntsman, R. G., Collins, M., Duggirala, R., Martin, L., Keeping, D.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Wiley 1995
• Subjects: Fogo; Fogo Island; Tilting; Newfoundland
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/ajhb.1310070405; https://api.wiley.com/onlinelibrary/tdm/v1/articles/10.1002%2Fajhb.1310070405; https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/ajhb.1310070405

Abstract The population structure of Fogo Island, Newfoundland is described using geography, religious affiliation, economic factors (such as the presence of a fish‐packing plant), and genetic markers. Five different analytic methods, R‐matrix analysis, r ii VS. mean per locus heterozygosity, predicted kinship (ϕ), mean first passage time, and Mantel matrix comparisons, were applied to the Fogo Island genetic and demographic data. The results suggest that geography plays a role on Fogo Island in the distribution of genes, while religion, ethnicity, and economic factors play less significant roles. The communities with fish‐packing 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, initially caused by Irish settlement and subsequently the action of stochastic processes. © 1995 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.