Surnames and Genetic Structure

by Gabriel Ward Lasker

Overview

Surnames are inherited in much the same way as are biological traits. Since surnames were generally adopted - in Europe during Medieval times - their distribution has become very uneven: analysis of the present geographic patterns provides an insight into the kind of redistribution of genes that has resulted from all the migrations of the intervening years. Using non-technical language and a minimum of mathematics, this book presents a lucid description and evaluation of these studies of the genetic structure of human populations. A special feature is the appendix which presents computer-generated maps and distribution diagrams of 100 common surnames in England and Wales.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780521302852
Publisher:	Cambridge University Press
Publication date:	06/13/1985
Series:	Cambridge Studies in Biological and Evolutionary Anthropology , #1
Pages:	160
Product dimensions:	5.98(w) x 8.98(h) x 0.59(d)

Table of Contents

Preface; 1. Introduction; 2. History of surname studies in human biology; 3. Sources of data; 4. Methods; 5. Isolates and inbreeding; 6. Island versus distance models: the Far East and Oceania; 7. The Americas and continental Europe; 8. Scotland and Ireland; 9. Regions of England; 10. English cities and the general population of England and Wales; 11. Specific surnames in Great Britain; 12. Human population structure; Appendix; Glossary; Index.