Distribution of haptoglobin, transferrin, and hemoglobin types among Indians of Middle America: In British Honduras, Costa Rica and Panama

Blood specimens from putatively pure Maya and Kekchi Indians in British Honduras; Bribri, Boruca, Cabécar and Térraba in Costa Rica; and San Blas Cuna, Chocó and Guaymi in Panama have been tested for haptoglobins, transferrins and hemoglobin types, and the phenotype incidences and frequencies of genes controlling these serum proteins have been reported. Hp 1 gene frequencies resemble generally those previously reported for Indians but the frequency of 0.197 for Hp 1 among the Bribri of Costa Rica is the lowest re‐ported for any aboriginal population in Middle America. The distribution of transferrins varies appreciably among these different popula‐tions, the range being similar to those reported for other Middle Ameican tribes (Mat‐son et al., '63). Nearly all 1,107 hemolysates tested had only type A hemoglobin. Hemoglobin type AS was found in two of 67 Térraba. These two specimens also tested R 2 r and R 0 r respec‐tively for Rh genotypes, suggesting foreign admixture, since both R 0 and r genes are extremely rare or absent in American Indians. Hemoglobin AS was observed also in five (two of whom were brothers) of 153 Guaymi Indians in Panama. One homozy‐gous S type was found also among the Guyami. Two AS were present in 198 Samples of blood from the San Blas Cuna.