Kin groups and trait groups

Population structure and epidemic disease selection

Dados Bibliográficos

ID8320293
AutoresAlan G Fix (University of California, Riverside, autor correspondente)
Ano1984
Volume65
Fascículo2
Páginas201-212
Data de publicação1984-10-01
Peer ReviewedSim
Open AccessSim
TipoARTICLE
PeriódicoAmerican Journal of Physical Anthropology (JOURNAL)
Identificadores do periódicoISSN: 0002-9483 • E-ISSN: 1096-8644
EditoraWiley (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1002/ajpa.1330650213
PMID6507610
OpenAlexW2078045239
IdiomaEN
Citações recebidas10
Referências citadas35

A Monte Carlo simulation based on the population structure of a small‐scale human population, the Semai Senoi of Malaysia, has been developed to study the combined effects of group, kin, and individual selection. The population structure resembles D.S. Wilson's structured deme model in that local breeding populations (Semai settlements) are subdivided into trait groups (hamlets) that may be kin‐structured and are not themselves demes. Additionally, settlement breeding populations are connected by two‐dimensional stepping‐stone migration approaching 30% per generation. Group and kin‐structured group selection occur among hamlets the survivors of which then disperse to breed within the settlement population. Genetic drift is modeled by the process of hamlet formation; individual selection as a deterministic process, and stepping‐stone migration as either random or kin‐structured migrant groups. The mechanism for group selection is epidemics of infectious disease that can wipe out small hamlets particularly if most adults become sick and social life collapses. Genetic resistance to a disease is an individual attribute; however, hamlet groups with several resistant adults are less likely to disintegrate and experience high social mortality. A specific human gene, hemoglobin E, which confers resistance to malaria, is studied as an example of the process. The results of the simulations show that high genetic variance among hamlet groups may be generated by moderate degrees of kin‐structuring. This strong microdifferentiation provides the potential for group selection. The effect of group selection in this case is rapid increase in gene frequencies among the total set of populations. In fact, group selection in concert with individual selection produced a faster rate of gene frequency increase among a set of 25 populations than the rate within a single unstructured population subject to deterministic individual selection. Such rapid evolution with plausible rates of extinction, individual selection, and migration and a population structure realistic in its general form, has implications for specific human polymorphisms such as hemoglobin variants and for the more general problem of the tempo of evolution as well

Biology · Disease · Evolutionary biology · Geography · Kin selection · Population · Population structure · Selection (genetic algorithm) · Sociology · Trait · Artificial Intelligence · Computer Science · Demography · Evolution and Genetic Dynamics · Genetic Mapping and Diversity in Plants and Animals · Medicine · Zoonotic diseases and public health