[Differences in mortality in the Dogon of Boni]. / Différences de mortalité chez les Dogon de Boni.

Mortality has been analyzed at the level of a small population of approximately 5000 persons, part of the Dogon of Mali. They are separated into four distinct groups, each composed of from three to four villages. Adjusted life tables are estimated for two periods of five years: 1977-81 and 1982-86. First these tables were calculated for the entire population and then for two of the most densely populated massifs. Mortality is very high. However, it is different in the two areas. This difference, already notable in 1977-81, increased during the period 1982-86. Possible causal factors could be linked to the presence of primary health care in the Tabi region. Although very limited, the care changed elementary rules of hygiene. Moreover, comparison between villages point to the important role of the quality and quantity of available water in relation to child mortality levels.

Endogamy among the Dogon of Boni, Mali.

This paper examines factors influencing endogamy in a Dogon population in Mali. Situated in Boni district, this population of about 5000 individuals is distributed over fifteen villages located on four independent massifs. This population is strongly endogamous (only 4% of all marriages are contracted with neighbouring ethnic groups), and each massif shows high endogamy. The roles of lineage, residence in the same village, and geographical distance in mating choice are examined. These different factors are successively analysed using log-linear statistical models and the results offer a more precise interpretation of endogamy in this population.

Genetic origins of the Dogon population in the Arrondissement of Boni (Mali).

A study of probabilities of origin of genes was carried out on a Dogon population in Mali, spread over four massifs separated from each other by about 20 kilometers. Within each village, the founder contributions are very disparate and show that each village has a very specific origin. Therefore, the exchange of wives between massifs has not resulted in a homogenization of the population, which has remained strongly structured into four relatively independent isolates.

[Demographic and evolutionary dynamics of an isolate: the Dogon of Boni]. / Dynamique demographique et evolutive d'un isolat: les Dogon de Boni.

PIP: The principal results are presented of demographic and genetic studies among the Dogon of the mountains of Boni. The Dogon of Boni are a culturally homogeneous population who have retained their own identity. Their villages were hidden in the rocks and thus protected from the recurring attacks and pillagings of passing nomadic tribes. The attacks ceased after several generation, and the Dogon have spread out beyond their original settlements. The dogon 1st inhabited the area in the early 18th century, arriving in successive waves from the Mande country. The topography of a plain intersected by mountains and plateaus has resulted in division of the Dogon population into isolates. The Dogon currently live in some 15 villages. They are sedentary and practice subsistence agriculture. The climate is Sahelian and life is difficult under the best of circumstances. The persistent aggravation of the drought since the 1970s has caused growing concern and may prompt the population to resettle elsewhere. Women have 7.2 live births on average, with very high fertility rates between 20-40 years. High rates of remarriage and polygamy appear to increase fertility. The life expectancy at birth of 31-37 years depending on the year and the sex of the child is among the lowest in Mali. 40% or more of newborns die before the 5th birthday. Some 18 years of life expectancy are added once the 5th birthday is passed. Except in years of crisis resulting from drought and famine, cholera epidemics, or measles which strikes virulently every 3 or 4 years, most deaths are caused by malaria and fever or diarrhea and intestinal parasites. A health center opened in 1979 in the largest town of Tabi may have had some affect on mortality despite its precarious functioning and lack of support. The average age at 1st marriage is 18.2 for women and 23.9 for men. Almost everyone marries and successive divorces and remarriages are common. Polygamy rates vary in the different mountain areas. Only about 4% of marriages are outside the ethnic group. 84% of unions occur between persons from the same massif. Marriages within the same lineage are not the rule. Although cousin marriages appear to be preferred, the complexity of kinship networks among individuals on the same massif means that after a few generations everyone is related. Genetic studies show that each massive has been relatively autonomous. Of the 51 original settlers, only 1 or 2 hundred are reflected in the genealogies of each massif. Demographic dynamics are conditioned by cultural norms concerning choice of spouse, by limited pools of available partners, and by the hostile physical environment which limits communications.^ieng

[Genealogic proximity and genetic proximity]. / Proximité généalogique et proximité génétique

Data collected concerning the Kel Kummer Touareg tribe permitted the characterization of each person by (a) a "geneological profile", by which the genetic contributions made to him by various of the founders of the tribe can be seen; and (b) a "hematological profile", which shows the different alleles existing in the tribe which have come to him. The study of the correlation between these two approaches shows that, overall, a person is defined better by his membership in a population than by his geneological network.