Skip to main content
Log in

Genetic polymorphisms in three Alpine populations (Visp valleys, Switerland)

  • Published:
International Journal of Anthropology

Abstract

Phenotype distributions and allele frequencies of 13 blood proteins are presented for the populations of the three Visp valleys, situated in the Swiss Alps. Blood samples of a total of 883 individuals were electrophoretically analysed. The three populations were statistically compared with each other, and with an additional sample from the literature thought to be representative of the entire Swiss population. Statistical differences are revealed and genetic distances are presented. These results are interpreted in connection with differences between the Visp valleys in topological situation.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Beringer M, 1967.Statistische Auswertung von Blut- und Serumgruppenbestimmungen bei Fällen von strittiger Abstammung. Archiv der Julius Klaus-Stiftung für Vererbungsforschung, Sozialanthropologie und Rassenhygiene (Zürich), 42: 63–75.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bernstein F., 1930.Fortgesetzte Untersuchungen aus der Theorie der Blutgruppen. Zeitschrift für induktive Abstammungs- und Vererbungslehre, 56: 233–273.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Biedermann V., 1986.Eine hämogenetische und populationsgenetische Studie an der Dorfbevölkerung von Törbel (VS). PhD Diss., Philos. Fak. II, Universität Zürich.

  • Bütler R., Metaxas-Bühler M., Rosin S &Wandrey R., 1959.Untersuchungen über die Haptoglobingruppen von Smithies. Schweizerische Medizinische Wochenschrift, 89: 1041–1043.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cavalli-Sforza L. L. &Bodmer W. F., 1971.The genetics of human populations. San Francisco: W. H. Freeman and Co.

    Google Scholar 

  • Crawford M. H., 1980.The breakdown of reproductive isolation in an Alpine genetic isolate: Acceglio, Italy. In (A. W. Eriksson, H. R. Forsius, H. R. Nevalinna, P. L. Workman, and R. K. Norio, eds.) Population structure and genetic disorders, pp. 57–71. London-New York: Academic Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ferguson A., 1980.Biochemical systematics and evolution. Glasgow-London: Blackie.

    Google Scholar 

  • Friedl J. &Ellis W. S., 1974.Inbreeding, isonymy, and isolation in a Swiss community. Human Biology, 46: 699–712.

    Google Scholar 

  • Harris H &Hopkinson D.A., 1976.Handbook of enzyme electrophoresis in human genetics. Amsterdam: Elsevier-North-Holland-Excerpta Medica.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hussels I., 1969.Genetic structure of Saas, a Swiss isolate. Human Biology, 41: 469–479.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kantonales Statistisches Amt, 1982.Statistiches Jahrbuch des Kantons Wallis 1982. Finanzdepartement des Kantons Wallis.

  • Kaplan B. A., Lasker G. W. &Chiarelli B., 1978.Communality of surnames: A measure of biological interrelationships among thirty-one settlements in upper Val Varaita in the Italian Alps. American Journal of Physical Anthoropoly, 49: 251–256.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kaufmann H., Hägler K. &Lang R., 1958.Analyse anthropologique et statistique de Walsers orientaux et de Romanches de l'Oberhalbstein (Grisons, Suisse). Archives suisses d'anthropologie générale, 23: 1–328.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kratzer A., 1986.Hämogenetische und genealogische Untersuchungen im Lötschental, Kanton Wallis. PhD Diss., Philos. Fak. II, Universität Zürich.

  • Lasker G. W., 1985.Surnames and genetic structure. Cambridge studies in biological anthropology 1. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lasker G. W., Chiarelli B. Masali M., Fedele F. &Kaplan B. A., 1972.Degree of human genetic isolation measured by isonymy and marital distances in two communities in an Italian Alpine valley. Human Biology, 44: 351–360.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lucchetti E. &Rabino Massa E., 1984.Population mobility and biological distances in Bellino (CN, Italy). Journal of Human Evolution, 13: 357–368.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Morton N. E., Klein D., Hussels I. E., Dodinval P., Todorov A., Lew R &Yee S., 1973.Genetic structure of Switzerland. American Journal of Human Genetics, 25: 347–361.

    Google Scholar 

  • Morton N. E., Yasuda N., Miki C. &Yee S 1968.Population structure of the ABO blood groups in Switzerland. American Journal of Human Genetics., 20: 420–429.

    Google Scholar 

  • Netting, R. M., 1981.Balancing on an Alp. Ecological change and continuity in a Swiss mountain community. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pettener D., 1980.Inbreeding and evolution of consanguineous marriages in the population of two mountain valleys (Appennino Bolognese: 1566–1979). In: Actes du XXe congrès international d'anthropologie et d'archéologie préhistorique, Cagliari: 09–12 octobre 1980, pp. 282–288. Paris: Institut International d'Anthropologie.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pettener D., 1981.Inbreeding secular changes in the Riomaggiore and Silla valleys, Italy, from 1565 to 1980. Acta Anthropogenetica, 5: 271–278.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pettener D., 1985.Consanguineous marriages in the upper Bolognia Appennine (1565–1980): Microgeographic variations, pedigree structure and correlation of inbreeding secular trend with changes in population size. Human Biology, 57: 267–288.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pflugshaupt R., Scherz R. &Bütler R., 1971.The adenylate kinase (AK)-groups in the Swiss population. Humangenetik, 12: 167–169.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pflugshaupt R, Scherz R. &Bütler R., 1976.Polymorphism of human red cell adenosine deaminase, esterase D, glutamate pyruvate transaminase and galactose-1-phosphate-uridyltransferase in the Swiss population. Human Heredity, 26: 161–166.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pflugshaupt R., Scherz R. &Bütler R., 1978.Human red cell glyoxalase I polymorphism in the Swiss population: Phenotype frequencies and a simplified technique. Human Heredity, 28: 235–237.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pflugshaupt R., Scherz R., Steinegger L. &Bütler R., 1973.Die Frequenz der C3-Polymorphismen in der schweizerischen Bevölkerung sowie einige Bemerkungen über die Identifizierung seltener Phaenotypen. In: Referate 5. Internat. Tagg. Ges. Forens. Blutgruppenkunde e.V., Amsterdam, pp. 183–187.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pflugshaupt R., Scherz R., Steinegger L. &Bütler R., 1975.The frequency of the polymorphism of C3 in the Swiss population and some remarks on the identification of rare phenotypes. In (H. Peeters, ed.) Protides of the biological fluids, 22nd colloq., Brugge, pp. 559–562. Oxford-New York: Pergamon Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Prevosti A., 1974.La distancia genética entre poblaciones. Miscellanea Alcobé, Public. Universidad de Barcelona, 1974: 109–118.

    Google Scholar 

  • Prevosti A., Ocaña J. &Allonso G., 1975.Distances between populations of Drosophila subobscura based on chromosome arrangement frequencies. Theoretical and Applied Genetics, 45: 231–241.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rosin S., 1956.Die Verteilung der ABO-Blutgruppen in der Schweiz. Bearbeitet unter Einführung neuer Methoden der Auswertung und Darstellung. Archiv der Julius Klaus-Stiftung für Vererbungsforschung, Sozialanthropologie und Rassenhygiene, 31: 17–128, +1 plate, +1 map.

    Google Scholar 

  • Scheffrahn W., 1983a.Gc variants in Swiss populations. In: Lectures 10th Internat. Congr. Soc. Forens. Haematogenetics, München, pp. 415–417.

  • Schefrahn W., 1983b.Anthropologisch-genetische Untersuchungen im Wallis, I. Archives suisses d'anthropologie générale, 47: 55–64.

    Google Scholar 

  • Scheffrahn W &Biedermann V., 1981.Demography and serogenetics of an isolated population in the Swiss Alps. In: Referate 9. Internat. Tagg. Ges. Forens. Blutgruppenkunde e.V., Bern, pp. 83–88

    Google Scholar 

  • Scheil H.-G. &Schffrahn W., 1984.Agarose-elektrophoretische Untersuchungen über die Pancreas-Amylase (Amy 2, E.C. 3.2.1.1) in schweizerischen Populationen (Nordschweizer, Walliser und Walser). Archives suisses d'anthropologie géneérale, 48: 61–64.

    Google Scholar 

  • Scherz R., Plugshaupt R. &Bütler R., 1981.Isoelectric focussing of human red cell Phosphoglucomutase (PGM 1). Phenotype distribution in the Swiss population — Rare phenotypes. Human Heredity, 31: 187–190.

    Google Scholar 

  • Scherz R., Rohner R., Pflugshaupt R. & Bütler R., 1983.Isoelectrofocussing of red cell esterase D (EsD, E.C. 3.1.1.1.) phenotype and gene frequencies in the Swiss population. In: Lectures 10th Internat. Congr. Soc. Forens. Haematogenetics, München, pp. 507–510.

  • Schlegel M. J. &Weilenmann-Grieshaber V., 1975.Demographische und biologische Untersuchungen genetisch isolierter Bevölkerungen im Unterengadin (Schweiz). Archiv für Genetik, 48: 81–93.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schlegel M. J. &Weilenmann-Grieshaber V., 1976.Isolatuntersuchung im Unterengadin (Kt. Graubünden, Schweiz). Archives suisses d'anthropologie générale, 40: 53–66.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schütz R., 1946.Das Vorkommen der Blutgruppen in der Schweiz an Hand von 33964 Bestimmungen nach Bürgerort eingetragen. Archiv der Julius Klaus-Stiftung für Vererbungsforschung, Sozialanthropologie und Rassenhygiene, 21: 207–229. +6 plates.

    Google Scholar 

  • Shows T. B., Alper C. A., Bootsma D., Dorf M. Douglas T., Huisman T., Kit S., Kilinger H. P., Kozak C., Lalley P. A., Lindsley D., McAlpine P. J., Meera Khan P., Meisler M., Morton N. E., Opitz J. M., Partridge C. W., Payne R., Roderick T. H., Rubinstein P., Ruddle F. H., Shaw M., Spranger J. W. &Weiss K. 1979.International system for human gene nomenclature (1979), ISGN (1979). Cytogenetics and Cell Genetics, 25: 96–116

    Google Scholar 

  • Sneath P. H. A. &Sokal R. R., 1973.Numerical taxonomy, San Francisco; W. H. Freeman and Co.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sokal R. R. &Rohlf F. J., 1969.Biometry. The principles and practice of statistics in biological research. San Francisco: W. H. Freeman and Co.

    Google Scholar 

  • Spielmann W. &Kühnl P., 1982.Blutgruppenkunde. Stuttgart-New York, Thieme.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ziggiotti E., 1985.Hämogenetische und populationsgenetische Untersuchungen an den Vispertälern (Kanton Wallis, Schweiz). PhD Diss., Philos. Fak. II, Universität Zürich.

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Ziggiotti, E., Geissmann, T. Genetic polymorphisms in three Alpine populations (Visp valleys, Switerland). Int. J. Anthropol. 2, 1–20 (1987). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02442068

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02442068

Key words

Navigation