Abstract
Allelic frequencies of the MN blood group and environmental data from 30 African population samples were tested with multiple regression to test the hypothesis that MN frequencies vary with climate. Allelic frequencies were related to environmental variation (P < 0.01), and factor analysis of the data generated the hypothesis that the M allele of the MN polymorphism increased in frequency with decreasing environmental temperatures.
The hypothesis that the M allele increases with decreasing environmental temperatures was tested with genetic data from Native Americans. Variation of the frequency of the M allele was described with a multiple regression using latitude, elevation, and measures of rainfall, sunlight intensity, and temperature. The pattern was similar to that seen in Africa; the frequency of the M allele increased in relatively cold sites.
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Mitton, J.B. (1999). Allelic Variation at the MN Locus Varies with Climatic Variation in Africans and Native Americans. In: Wasser, S.P. (eds) Evolutionary Theory and Processes: Modern Perspectives. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-4830-6_19
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-4830-6_19
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