Current Developments in Anthropological Genetics: Volume 3 Black Caribs A Case Study in Biocultural Adaptation

While the previous two volumes in this series were based upon methodol- ogy, theory, and the relationship between ecology and population structure, this book can be viewed as an in-depth case study. The population genetics of a multitude of diverse groups geographically distributed throughout the world was examined in the first two volumes. In contrast, this volume focuses upon a single ethnic group, the Black Caribs (Garifuna) of Central America and St. Vincent Island, and explores the interrelationships among the ethnohistory, sociocultural characteristics, demography, morphology, and genetic structure of the group. This volume offers a broad and intensive treatment of the Black Caribs and their interactions with surrounding populations. My interest in the genetics of the Black Caribs was sparked by an accidental meeting in Amsterdam, Holland, in March 1975. A conversation with Nancie Gonzalez at the Applied Anthropology Meetings revealed the "truth-is-stranger- than-fiction" history of the Black Carib peoples of the Caribbean. This was a popUlation with a small-sized founding group and a unique biological success story. Nancie Gonzalez was particularly interested in estimating the Carib Indian admixture in the contemporary Garifuna popUlation. Given my previous experi- ence in estimating Spanish and African admixture in the Tlaxcaltecan population (whose gene pool consisted predominantly of Indian alleles), a group that appeared to be primarily African with some Indian admixture was of great interest. Aside from the ethnohistorical interest, I believe that such a population may add conSiderably to our understanding of the inheritance of complex morphological traits.

Table of Contents:
1. Problems and Hypotheses: An Introduction.- 1. Introduction.- 2. Ethnohistory.- 3. Unique Characteristics of the Black Caribs.- 4. Central Research Problems.- 5. Contents of This Volume.- References.- I: Sociocultural and Demographic Sections.- 2. The Garifuna in Central America: Ethnohistorical and Geographical Foundations.- 3. The Changing Vincentian Carib Population.- 4. Garifuna (Black Carib) Social Organization.- 5. Demographic Patterns of the Garifuna (Black Caribs) of Belize.- 6. Past and Present Evidence of Interethnic Mating.- 7. Ethnicity and Mating Patterns in Punta Gorda, Belize.- II: Morphological Section.- 8. Nutrition and Growth in Early Childhood among the Garifuna and Creole of Belize.- 9. Skin Color of the Garifuna of Belize.- 10. Dental Variation in Black Carib Populations.- 11. Anthropometry of Black Caribs.- 12. Factors Influencing Blood Pressure Level among the Black Caribs of St. Vincent Island.- 13. Quantitative Analyses of the Dermatoglyphic Patterns of the Black Carib Populations of Central America.- III: Genetic Section.- 14. Genetic Structure of the Garifuna Population in Belize.- 15. Blood Group, Hemoglobin, and Plasma Protein Polymorphisms in Black Carib Populations.- 16. Blood Group, Serum Protein, and Red Cell Enzyme Polymorphisms, and Admixture among the Black Caribs and Creoles of Central America and the Caribbean.- 17. Abnormal Hemoglobins among the Black Caribs.- 18. Immunoglobulin Allotypes in the Black Caribs and Creoles of Belize and St. Vincent.- 19. Genetic Population Structure of the Black Caribs and Creoles.- 20. Anthropogenetics in a Hybrid Population: The Black Carib Studies.