The HL–A Gene Structure of Twareg Populations. II. TheKelDiniq

The HL–A groups of 138 Kel Diniq Twaregs were determined by the platelet complement fixation microtechnique. Their HL–A characteristics, compared to those of Caucasoid populations, are: decrease in HL–A2, 9, W17 and W15; increase in W28, W32, HL–A7, W5, W10 and second locus blank; absence of Da25 (W30 + W31), HL–A13, W15, W18, W27. This genetic structure is in accordance with the isolated condition of this population. The most frequent haplotypes are: W28,HL–A7, common to both the Kel Diniq and the Kel Kummer Twaregs previously studied; W32,W10 and HL–A3, HL–A5, Kel Diniq only. These two populations are both isolates, with a common origin in the seventeenth century, but separated as from that date. Genealogical studies have enabled the haplotype W28,HL–A7 to be attributed to the two brothers who founded the populations in the seventeenth century. A comparison of these two populations constitutes a model for the study of genetic drift and the founder effect.