Isolation by distance, linguistic similarity, and the genetic structure on Bougainville Island

Abstract

Previous research has revealed extensive genetic variation among villages on Bougainville, in the Solomon Islands. Using previously published gene frequency data for seven loci, the role of isolation by distance in structuring genetic variation on Bougainville was reanalyzed. Newer methods of kinship estimation show that earlier estimates of the isolation by distance parameters were low. The fit of the model is highly significant (R² = 0.409; P < 0.001), and the parameter estimates indicate high isolation: a = 0.0538, b = 0.1978, L = −0.0057. Several methods of residual analysis were applied in order to determine factors affecting the fit of the model. Linguistic similarity has a significant effect on genetic variation once the effects of geographic distance are taken into account. Population‐specific deviations from the expected model may be explained, in part, in terms of population history. Compared to other human populations, Bougainville Island shows an even greater among‐group variation than has been suggested previously.