Dogrib Indians of the Northwest Territories, Canada: genetic diversity and genetic relationship among subarctic Indians

Abstract

Phenotypes and gene frequencies of genes at the ABO, Rhesus, MNSs, Diego, Duffy, Kell, Kp, Kidd and P blood group systems are presented for three villages of Dogrib Indians. This population resides between Great Slave and Great Bear Lakes in the Northwest Territories of Canada. Until recently they pursued an exclusively hunting-gathering-fishing lifestyle in the subarctic forest. Maximum European admixture in the Dogrib is 8.7%. Nei's coefficient of gene diversity, GST is 0.0121. Blood group data from other Athapaskan-speaking Indians were also examined. GST for Kutchin villages is approximately 1.1%. GST obtained over five tribes of Northern Athapaskans is 0.0264, a figure slightly lower than that found in comparable groups of Mexican Indians. Overall genetic differentiation (HT) in Northern Athapaskans was greater than in the Mexicans, presumably because of high, though nonquantifiable European admixture in some of the tribes. The bulk of the genetic variability in Athapaskans exists within tribes, and then within villages of the same tribe. Genetic distance analysis with Nei's standard distance D shows that Dogrib and Kutchin Indians are very close. Geographic proximity has no significant influence on inter-tribal gene flow, but is significantly associated with intra-tribal gene flow.