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Isonymy and the genetic structure of Sicily

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  31 July 2008

A. Rodríguez-Larralde ,
A. Pavesi ,
C. Scapoli ,
F. Conterio ,
G. Siri  and
I. Barrai
A. Rodríguez-Larralde
Affiliation:
Laboratory of Human Genetics, IVIC, Caracas, Venezuela
A. Pavesi
Affiliation:
Institute of Genetics, University of Parma, Italy
C. Scapoli
Affiliation:
Department of Evolutionary Biology, University of Ferrara, Italy
F. Conterio
Affiliation:
Institute of Genetics, University of Parma, Italy
G. Siri
Affiliation:
Institute of Genetics, University of Parma, Italy
I. Barrai
Affiliation:
Department of Evolutionary Biology, University of Ferrara, Italy
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Summary

The genetic structure of Sicily was analysed through the distribution of surnames of 758,793 users registered in the Italian Telephone Company, corresponding to 371 communes of the island. Estimates of the coefficient of consanguinity due to random isonymy, of Fisher's a, an indicator of abundance of surnames, and of Karlin–McGregor's v, an indicator of immigration rates, were obtained for each commune. Four different estimates of genetic distance between all possible pairs of communes within each province were also obtained, and their relationship with geographic distance was studied. The logarithmic transformation of Lasker's coefficient of relationship showed correlations with the log of geographic distance which range between −0·78 and −0·40; the strongest, for the province of Catania, was attributed to the presence of Mount Etna, and the weakest, for Palermo, to the high population density of this province.

Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Biosocial Science , Volume 26 , Issue 1 , January 1994 , pp. 9 - 24
Copyright
Copyright © 1994, Cambridge University Press

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