A genetic study in rural Toledo. Blood groups and genetic distances in the district of Jara (Toledo)
Calderón, R.; Ibáñez, V.
Sangre 32(6): 689-699
1987
ISSN/ISBN: 0036-4355 PMID: 3438809 Document Number: 304012
This study provides a comprehensive anthropological approach to the biological identity of a Spanish rural community: "La Jara". Located not far from Madrid, its historic and socieconomic peculiarities make it a good example of the effects of continued sedentarism on the genetics of certain population. Partial results concerning both the dynamics and the genetic variation of this population have been published elsewhere. This paper adds new data referring to its serological features: a redetermination of the system (399 individuals) and a through analysis of the rhesus polymorphism (336 individuals). This work combines these results with those previously obtained on a total of six polymorphic systems and compares them with another five Spanish groups by means of genetic distance methods. The most remarkable results are: 1) The elevated frequencies of B gene and of the rhesus haplotype cDe in this area, which are discussed as indicating a possible retention of Moslem features. 2) The extraordinarily close genetic similarity to each other of La Jara, Galicia and Cataluna regions, while much greater distances occur between this trio and the Basque Country. intermediate standards found for Cantabria are explained in terms of its geographical location.