Genetic substructure analysis of three isolated populations in southwest China.

Southwest China is home to numerous ethnic minorities, as well as many geographically and genetically isolated groups. However, the genetic substructure of these ethnic groups, especially the paternal genetic structure between groups, has not been comprehensively analyzed. In this study, we used Y chromosome capture and Illumina sequencing technologies to investigate the paternal genetic structure of three isolated groups of male unrelated individuals, including Baima in Pingwu, Sichuan Province, Muya in Shimian, Sichuan Province, and Kongge in Jinghong, Yunnan Province. We calculated the frequencies of related haplogroups by the fixed-point compound amplification method and direct counting method, and used the Past3.0 software to perform principal component analysis to draw a population clustering tree. we observed that Kongge had 3 Y chromosome haplogroups, Baima had 4 Y chromosome haplogroups, and Muya had 5 Y chromosome haplogroups. The results showed that Kongge was most closely related to the Wa, and the Y chromosome types of the Baima and Muya were mainly concentrated in the D haplogroup and its lower reaches. It has the closest relationship with the Tibetans in Qamdo and Nyingchi. The study on the genetic structure of different ethnic groups has enriched the genetic relationship of isolated populations and provided a new perspective for understanding Chinese ethnic groups.

[Age variations of head-face morphological traits of Hakka in Guangdong province].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the age variations of head-face morphological traits of Hakka in Guangdong Province. METHODS: Thirty-eight physical indices of head and face of 671 Hakka adults (151 urban males, 181 urban females, 162 rural males and 177 rural females) from Meizhou city of Guangdong were investigated. Twelve physical indices of head and face were calculated and counted its indices distributions. The age changes of morphological traits of head and face were analyzed. RESULTS: With the age growing, the rate of eyefold of the upper eyelid was increased, and the Mongoloid fold decreased, the direction of eyeslits tended to level, nasal root height dropped, the zygomatic projection was more projected, the eye color turned to lighter, the upper red lips became thinner; medium-sized facial height, nasal height, upper lip skin height, physiognomic ear length, physiognomic ear breadth and breadth of alae nasi were decreased. The index of mouth breadth, morphological facial skin fold were positively correlated with the age. The index of minimum frontal breadth, face breadth, bigonial diameter, interocular breadth, external biocular breadth, lip height, thickness of lips and horizontal head circumference were negatively correlated with the age. With the age growing, morphological facial index and vertical cephalo-facial index was ascending. Moreover, length-height index of head, transverse frontoparietal index, zygomatico-frontal index and lip index were declining. CONCLUSION: With the age growing, the head and face measurements, physical indices and the proportion of observed indices have changed in Hakka in Guangdong province.

[Study on 4 human population genetic characters of Mongol and Han in Western inner Mongolia].

From 1998 to 2001, a sample of 2760 Mongol and Han individuals was investigated in 3 areas (Eerduosi city, Xilinguole and Bayannaoer leagues) from Inner Mongolia. Each individual was studied on 4 genetic characters (thumb type, palmar digital formular, fingernail type and plantar digital formular). The result is as follows: (1) The frequencies of the straight thumb were over 60%, and there were no significant sexual differences in all of 6 groups. (2) The frequencies of the ring-finger-longer were much higher in 6 groups, and there were significant sexual differences in 4 groups. (3) The frequencies of the long-shaped fingernail were the highest in all groups, the squat-shaped were the lowest. (4) The big toes were longer than the second toes in most people of 6 groups,but without significant sexual differences in each groups. (5) There were no significant correlations between 4 characters.

[Studies of hereditary mode on three tongue moving types].

The data of 72 families were analyzed by the method of proband's sib and the method of segregation analysis. The results showed that the hereditary mode of rolling tongue or pointed tongue is the dominant heredity of single gene of autosome, and the positive type of them is the dominant character. Twisting tongue is the recessive heredity of single gene of autosome,while the positive type is the recessive character. Present study suggested, although environmental might affect these characters,hereditary factors seemed to be dominant.

[Gene frequency of 12 characters in 5 nationalities in inner mongolia].

The gene frequency of 12 characters was reported in Ewenki, Oroqen, Daur, Mongol and Han nationalities in Inner Mongolia, and compared among these nationalities. The result indicated that the difference of Mongoloid fold among nationalities was significant, followed by the Folding tongue, while the difference of Handedness and Nasal profile was relatively insignificant.