Original Research: Surnames in Gracias a Dios: Population Structure and Residence Patterns in the Honduran Miskito Territory assessed through Isonymy.

By: Edwin Francisco Herrera Paz. Universidad Católica de Honduras. Campus San Pedro y San Pablo, San Pedro Sula, Honduras.

Delmy Aracely Mejía Mejía. Clínica Médica Herrera. Colonia Rivera Hernández, calle principal. San Pedro Sula, Honduras.

Key words: Honduran Moskitia, Population Structure, Isonymy, Residence Patterns

ABSTRACT

Backround: The main objective of this paper is to assess the genetic structure and residence preferences of the populations that inhabit the Honduran Moskitia, a wide area of tropical rain forest that comprises the Department of Gracias a Dios, in the republic of Honduras.

Design and Methods: Common isonymy parameters within and between parishes, as well as residence patterns using both surnames were calculated from a list of 22,961 electors at 54 villages or towns, grouped in six municipalities.

Results: High Isonymy values were obtained from all the communities and predominance in patrilocality in most of them, revealing a highly structured, patrilocal population composed mainly by relatively isolated communities. Analysis of isonymy between communities revealed the most probable historical migration routes and relations among locations. We found evidence of an early relatively homogeneous peopling of the region followed by high differentiation between communities.

Conclusions: The findings suggest that the Department of Gracias a Dios is a structured population composed mostly by communities with high endogamy and genetic drift, which makes it suitable for the performance of genetic studies on mendelian or complex diseases. The capital city of the department, Puerto Lempira, may be the only one experiencing a fast urbanization process.

Full article available here: http://www.tsijournals.com/articles/surnames-in-gracias-a-dios-population-structure-and-residencepatterns-in-the-honduran-miskito-territory-assessed-through.pdf

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