Blood polymorphism frequencies in the T ofinu, the "Water Men" of Southern Benin

Abstract

Informations on the genetic constitution (AcP, EsD, PGMl> AK, 6-PGD, Hb, Hp, Cp and Gc blood systems) of the Tofinu, a lacustrine population living in the pile-work of the Guinean coast (Southern Benin), are reported. The Tofinu gene fre¬quencies are much as would be expected from the geographical position of this country. The AcP, Hp and Hb fJ gene frequencies are compared with those of the other eth¬nic groups of Southern Benin as the Goun, Fon, Djedje, and Nago, using the contingen¬cy chi-square test of homogeneity. On the average, the five groups do not show any sig¬nificant differences. Thus it results that there seems to be a common genetic origin and that the cultural-linguistic differentiation followed the evolutive biological process for the populations of this country