Biodemographic characteristics of North-Western Italian population (Giaglione - Susa Valley) between 18th and 19th century

For the study of genetic changes that occur over time in human communities (microevolution) anthropologists and biodemographers have favored the use of renewable flow, in particular the registers of marriage. Indeed they allow to easily estimate several biodemographic parameters (endogamy and exogamy; repeated pairs; immigration), even for long periods of time, since it is quite common to have consecutive series of documents relating to the marriage of a population. However, the sources of flow do not always allow to study in depth the factors that have given continuity to the community because they provide only partial information on demographic structure, the mode of aggregation of its members and the processes of change within families. A good alternative to sources of flow may be the use of sources of state, civil (censuses) or parish sources (the status animarum), which give a very detailed picture of the state of the population at a given time. The retrieval and analysis of census documentation assume therefore a primary role in order to obviate the intrinsic weaknesses of the sources of flow. In the perspective of biodemographic studies, the integration of the two types of sources is in actual fact the operating optimum. It must be remembered that it is quite difficult to find contemporary sources of flow and of state for the Italian populations of the past

The matrimonial behavior of a rural population in Haute-Vienne, France

Although biodemography prefers to focus on isolated human populations, in our analysis we have considered an opened community, neither culturally nor geographically separated from the nearby communities. The aim of the present study was to reconstruct the degree of consanguinity and assess the level of openness of a certain French population through the observation of its people’s matrimonial behavior. Marriages and, in general, the choice of the partner, are often affected by culture and society which affect, in the end, the community’s genic pool

Estimating Sampling Selection Bias in Human Genetics: A Phenomenological Approach

This research is the first empirical attempt to calculate the various components of the hidden bias associated with the sampling strategies routinely-used in human genetics, with special reference to surname-based strategies. We reconstructed surname distributions of 26 Italian communities with different demographic features across the last six centuries (years 1447-2001). The degree of overlapping between "reference founding core" distributions and the distributions obtained from sampling the present day communities by probabilistic and selective methods was quantified under different conditions and models. When taking into account only one individual per surname (low kinship model), the average discrepancy was 59.5%, with a peak of 84% by random sampling. When multiple individuals per surname were considered (high kinship model), the discrepancy decreased by 8-30% at the cost of a larger variance. Criteria aimed at maximizing locally-spread patrilineages and long-term residency appeared to be affected by recent gene flows much more than expected. Selection of the more frequent family names following low kinship criteria proved to be a suitable approach only for historically stable communities. In any other case true random sampling, despite its high variance, did not return more biased estimates than other selective methods. Our results indicate that the sampling of individuals bearing historically documented surnames (founders' method) should be applied, especially when studying the male-specific genome, to prevent an over-stratification of ancient and recent genetic components that heavily biases inferences and statistics

The "Hidden frontier" between Trentino and Alto Adige: interaction between populations on the Roman-Germanic border

This study is part of the “Alteritas” project, which examines relationships between populations by identifying linguistic, bio-demographic, archaeological and cultural parameters of interaction, past and present. Using a multidisciplinary approach, we aim to analyze the complex interethnic relations in the language border zone between Trentino and Alto Adige. Adopting as a reference point the studies begun during the 1970s by J.W. Wolf and E.R. Cole on the “hidden frontier” in the Alta Val di Non (Upper Non Valley), our research extends to adjoining territories with comparable socio-economic situations. Considered in particular are the districts of the Alta Val di Non, lower Val di Fiemme and Bassa Atesina/Piana Rotaliana. Interaction between the communities is investigated considering aspects such as linguistic and cultural habits, traditions and social and economic structure, and migratory exchanges. The bio-demographic part of the project is aimed at identifying continuity/discontinuity in surname structure near the borders between Trentino and Alto Adige. Analysis of geographical distribution of surnames, considered as parameters of interaction, may help define the nature, means and degree of the relationships between populations. Telephone books and questionnaires provide the main data sources while marriage lists, where made available by the local institutions, offer further investigations. Questa ricerca si inserisce nel progetto "Alteritas", volto allo studio delle relazioni tra popolazioni mediante la individuazione di parametri di interazione (linguistici, biodemografici, archeologici e culturali) nella storia e nel presente. Lo studio intende analizzare, secondo un taglio multidisciplinare, le complesse relazioni interet¬niche nella zona di confine linguistico fra Trentino e Alto Adige. Prendendo come riferimento gli studi fatti a partire dagli anni '70 da J.W. Wolf e E.R. Cole sulla "Frontiera nascosta" nell'alta Val di Non, si estende il campo di indagine a territori contigui caratterizzati da contesti socio-economici comparabili. In particolare vengono presi in considerazione i distretti dell'Alta Val di Non, della bassa Val di Fiemme e della Bassa Atesina/Piana Rotaliana. Le interazioni tra comunità sono indagate considerando aspetti quali le abitudini linguistiche e culturali, i costumi e le strutture sociali ed economiche, gli scambi migratori. La parte biodemografica del progetto è finalizzata ad individuare continuità/discontinuità nella struttura per cognomi in prossimità delle aree di confine fra Trentino e Alto Adige. L'analisi della distribuzione geografica dei cognomi, considerati come parametro di interazione, può contribuire a definire la natura, le modalità e l'entità delle relazioni tra popolazioni. Le fonti di dati sono costituite da elenchi telefonici, questionari, e, come ulteriore approfondimento, subordinato alla disponibilità da parte degli enti preposti, liste di matrimoni

Les changements démographiques dans une ville d'Italie du Nord : Parme. Exemple d'utilisation du registre de population

Summary. — Transformations characterizing the present western populations, especially the Italian one are improvement in life expectancy, aging, new matrimonial and reproductive customs, decrease of fertility, great national and international mobility are the most evident. The study describes the age structure, the mobility, the family structure — and the evolutive dynamics of these variables in the latter years — of the population of Parma (North Italy). The town is characterized by a very remarkable drop in fertility, in 1994 less than 0.9 children per woman. The mean age of the population is about 44 years; the young, aged less than 15, are 10% of the total population (20% in 1971), while the old (more than 65 years) are 21% (12% in 1971). Mobility and migration have greatly changed because of migratory streams from developing countries. This immigration begins in 1990, involving people mainly from North (Tunisia and Marocco) and Sub-Saharian Africa (Senegal and Ghana), aged between 25 and 35. The family structure is greatly changed, too: their mean size is on the decrease, while the total number of families is increasing. Both men and women show a more clear tendency to live alone. A growing number of women are head of family, while the number of men decreases, especially the married ones. It is important to underline the necessity of a multidisciplinary and integrated approach to the study of the evolution of human populations, in order to lay emphasis on the integration among the different elements taking part in this process. To make less problematic the trouble coming from an unbalanced population structure, a correct demographic policy is needed: the interdisciplinary approach is the only tool able to succeed in this object.Résumé. — Les transformations les plus évidentes qui touchent aujourd'hui les populations occidentales et de l'Italie en particulier sont l'accroissement de la durée de la vie, le vieillissement, des nouveaux comportements en relation au mariage et à la reproduction, la baisse de la fécondité, une plus grande mobilité au niveau national et international. La recherche décrit la structure par âge, la mobilité, la structure des familles — et les dynamiques que ces paramètres ont suivi pendant les dernières années — dans la population de la ville de Parme (Italie septentrionale). Cette ville est concernée par une baisse très remarquable de la fécondité, dont la valeur est en 1994 de moins de 0.9 enfants par femme. L'âge moyen de la population est 44 ans ; les jeunes au-dessous de 15 ans sont 10 % de la population totale (plus de 20 % en 1971) ; les anciens, âgés de 65 ans et plus, sont 21 % (12 % en 1971). Il y a une grande modification dans la mobilité, à cause de l'immigration venant des pays en voie de développement. Cette immigration débute en 1990 ; les immigrés, venant surtout des pays de l'Afrique méditerranéenne (Tunisie et Maroc) et sub-saharienne (Sénégal et Ghana), se compose en majorité des jeunes hommes. Enfin, le nombre de familles augmente, mais leur taille décroît. Il y a une augmentation très nette de personnes vivant seules, aussi bien hommes que femmes. Parmi les chefs de famille, on observe aussi une diminution des hommes, et surtout des hommes mariés, tandis que le nombre de femmes qui jouent le rôle de chef de famille augmente quel que soit le statut matrimonial. Finalement, on souligne la nécessité d'une lecture multidisciplinaire et intégrée de l'évolution des populations humaines. Ces études ne doivent pas être menées seulement par des spécialistes de l'une ou de l'autre discipline, mais elles doivent être conduites de façon interdisciplinaire. Cette approche interdisciplinaire est la seule qui permet de définir une politique démographique équilibrée, qui rend moins traumatique le malaise touchant aujourd'hui les populations des villes occidentales.Lucchetti Enzo, De Iasio Sergio, Manfredini Matteo. Les changements démographiques dans une ville d'Italie du Nord : Parme. Exemple d'utilisation du registre de population. In: Bulletins et Mémoires de la Société d'anthropologie de Paris, Nouvelle Série. Tome 6 fascicule 3-4, 1994. pp. 181-197

La peste de 1630 dans la ville et dans le territoire de Parme (Italie)

Summary. — The plague that occurred in 1630 has caused a very high mortality in almost all of Northern Italy : the virulent epidemic reduced to half the resident populations. This study concerns the city of Parma : m 1629 nearly 30,000 people lived in the city, in 1630 the plague caused at least 16-18,000 deaths, mostly between April and June. We have used information obtained from parish registers of some rural villages ; the research has analysed the effects due to the plague in a rural environment: the geographic spread of the epidemic, its spread through time, the losses caused. The nominative reconstruction of two rural populations, carried out using the Status Animarum registers, has allowed to analyse the propagation of the plague between and within resident families. Finally we have considered the trend of the births, before, during and after the explosion of the epidemic: the aim was to reconstruct the behaviour of the population during the plague and to estimate their capacity to recovery after the epidemic subsided.Résumé. — La peste de 1630 a entraîné une mortalité très élevée dans presque toute l'Italie du Nord : les effectifs des populations touchées par le fléau ont été souvent réduits de moitié. Les analyses portent d'abord sur la ville de Parme où, sur une population d'environ 30 000 personnes, il y a eu au moins 1 6 à 1 8 000 décès, concentrés surtout ď avril à juin 1 630. En utilisant des données tirées des registres d'un certain nombre de paroisses on a analysé les effets de la peste dans les villages ruraux, l'itinéraire suivi par la contagion, les temps de sa diffusion, les pertes produites dans les populations. Au moyen de la reconstitution de deux populations rurales à partir des Status Animarum on a analysé la diffusion de la peste par ménages et à l'intérieur de chaque famille. On a aussi étudié l'évolution des naissances au cours de l'épidémie et après cette dernière, dans le but d'évaluer le comportement des populations pendant la peste et leur capacité de récupération une fois l'épidémie terminée.Lucchetti Enzo, Manfredini Matteo, De Iasio Sergio. La peste de 1630 dans la ville et dans le territoire de Parme (Italie). In: Bulletins et Mémoires de la Société d'anthropologie de Paris, Nouvelle Série. Tome 10 fascicule 3-4, 1998. pp. 411-424