I’ve been getting queries about the ear wax paper…below the fold I’ve copied table 1, which shows the frequencies of the haplotypes in various populations.
First, note the sample sizes.
Keep these sample sizes in mind as you try to get an understanding of the clines the authors were talking about.
Greg Cochran points out that since dry ear wax is a recessive trait it seems plausible that the phenotype being selected is different. It might be dominant or additive so that a total approach toward fixation of the allele would not be necessary for the fitness to be maximized. Consider the earwax trait, if allele frequences are 0.5 for both A and G in a population, you have 0.25 = AA, 0.5 = AG and 0.25 = GG. So Only 1/4 benefit from the fitness increasing trait. If it is a dominant feature somewhere else, you flip it, and with a 0.5 A frequency 3/4 of the population would maximize their fitness.
On the bit about randon genetic drift vs. selection, look at the map, if this allele was approaching fixation via stochastic processes it seems peculiar that it would exhibit a continental cline. Fragmented populations can fix at alternative alleles, but the distribution would be patchy and intercalated, not suggestive of a broad trend around an East Asian mode.
Southern Thai (Urak Lawoi and Sakai tribes combined)
2
(0.026)
23
52
77
0.175
0/52 (Sakai)
T.I.
Vedda
Native people in Sri Lanka
7
(0.350)
12
1
20
0.650
T.I.
Indonesian
Dayak tribe in Kalimantan
12
(0.293)
23
6
41
0.573
T.I.
Toraja and Bugis tribes in Sulawesi
27
(0. 270)
49
24
100
0.515
T.I.
Floresian
18
(0.300)
25
17
60
0.508
T.I.
Sumbanese
9
(0.180)
16
25
50
0.340
T.I.
Dani tribe in Irian Jaya
0
(0.000)
2
31
33
0.030
T.I.
Malaysian
Sabah in North Borneo
24
(0.393)
27
10
61
0.566
0/132 (Sabah)
K.H.
Bentong tribe
8
(0.113)
40
23
71
0.394
0/138
K.H.
Taiwanese
Taiwan Aborigine (Yami and Ami combined)
34
(0.330)
48
21
103
0.563
0/100 (Ami)
T.I.
Native American
6
(0.300)
8
6
20
0.500
2/40
R.K.
Philippino
Palawan
11
(0.229)
23
14
48
0.469
T.I.
Easter Islander
4
(0.138)
18
7
29
0.448
S.S.
Bolivian
Aymara inhabitants
5
(0.167)
14
11
30
0.400
9/60
S.S.
Kazakh
6
(0.200)
11
13
30
0.383
G.K.A.
Native Paraguayan
Ayoreos
2
(0.040)
34
14
50
0.380
0/98
K.H.
Sanapana
0
(0.000)
14
61
75
0.093
0/150
K.H.
Russian
5
(0.045)
45
62
112
0.246
0/208
V.A.S.
Solomon Islander
2
(0.323)
25
35
62
0.234
0/122
K.H.
Pacific islander
1
(0.143)
1
5
7
0.214
0/14
Coriell
French
From the CEPH families
1
(0.083)
3
8
12
0.208
0/24
CEPH
Andean people
1
(0.100)
2
7
10
0.200
1/20
Coriell
Hungarian
0
(0.000)
4
6
10
0.200
0/20
Coriell
Jewish
Ashkenazi
0
(0.000)
4
6
10
0.200
0/20
Coriell
Ukrainian
0
(0.000)
15
27
42
0.179
0/84
V.A.S.
Papuan
Papua, New Guinea
1
(0.026)
11
26
38
0.171
0/68
T.I.
European American
From CEPH families without the French and Venezuelans
1
(0.012)
16
65
82
0.110
0/164
CEPH
Vanuatu islander
Aneityum and Santo islanders combined
1
(0.011)
17
74
92
0.103
0/266 (Any and Gau islanders)
K.H.
Iberian
0
(0.000)
2
8
10
0.100
Coriell
Colombian
0
(0.000)
2
15
17
0.059
0/34
S.S.
Venezuelan
Inhabitants of Ye’Kuana and Sanuma villages
0
(0.000)
3
29
32
0.047
0/64
S.S.,CEPH
African
From various sub-Saharan nations
0
(0.000)
1
10
11
0.045
0/22
C.K.M.
African American
0
(0.000)
0
10
10
0.000
0/20
Coriell
D.-K.K., D.-K. Kim; N.S., N. Saitou; N.N., N. Niikawa; D.-S.L., D.-S. Liang; T.I., T. Ishida; A.G., A. Garidkhuu; T.K., T. Kaname; S.S., S. Sonoda; N.Na., N. Natsume; K.H., K. Hirayama; R.K., R. Komaki; G.K.A., G.K. Alipov; V.A.S., V.A. Saenko; C.K.M., C.K. Mapendanno; Coriell, from the Coriell Institute; CEPH, from the CEPH families.
aOne exceptional case of dry cerumen who has 27 on the G allele is included.
27 of ABCC11 among different ethnic populations
27
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