HLA genetic diversity and linguistic variation in East Asia
Résumé
Discusses the observed HLA-DRB1 genetic diversity in each East Asian linguistic phylum in relation to several models of human differentiation based on the variation of two genetic diversity indexes, the diversity among and within populations, respectively. A main difference is observed between continental East Asians and the insular populations represented by Austronesians who probably experienced rapid genetic differentiations. Based on the frequencies of peculiar HLA-DRB1 alleles, a close historical relationship is also tentatively proposed between extra-Formosans and populations from the east coast of Taiwan, in particular the Amis.