Abstract
Blood typing of mummified tissue provides information about the genetic composition of past populations. Blood type frequencies are important in determining genetic similarities among different populations.
Blood typing of tissue is possible because ABH antigens are widely distributed throughout the human body independent of whether the person is a secretor or non-secretor. There are two distinct forms of antigens (Race and Sanger 1975): 1) a water soluble form not present in the red cells or serum but present in the body fluids and organs of a secretor, the secretion of these antigens being controlled by a pair of alleles (Se, se) which are inherited independently of the ABO genes; and 2) an alcohol soluble form present in all tissues (except the brain) and on the red cells but not present in the secretions. This form is not influenced by the secreter gene.
The purpose of this paper is to report the results of blood tests performed on tissue from four mummies from the Greater Southwest of North America--an Anasazi (Basketrnaker II) infant, a Fremont adult, and an adolescent and a child from southwestern Chihuahua, Mexico. The two mummies from Chihuahua are of undetermined cultural affiliation but are from an area now occupied by the Tarahumara.
Blood typing of tissue is possible because ABH antigens are widely distributed throughout the human body independent of whether the person is a secretor or non-secretor. There are two distinct forms of antigens (Race and Sanger 1975): 1) a water soluble form not present in the red cells or serum but present in the body fluids and organs of a secretor, the secretion of these antigens being controlled by a pair of alleles (Se, se) which are inherited independently of the ABO genes; and 2) an alcohol soluble form present in all tissues (except the brain) and on the red cells but not present in the secretions. This form is not influenced by the secreter gene.
The purpose of this paper is to report the results of blood tests performed on tissue from four mummies from the Greater Southwest of North America--an Anasazi (Basketrnaker II) infant, a Fremont adult, and an adolescent and a child from southwestern Chihuahua, Mexico. The two mummies from Chihuahua are of undetermined cultural affiliation but are from an area now occupied by the Tarahumara.
Original language | English |
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Title of host publication | Two Mummies from Chihuahua, Mexico |
Subtitle of host publication | a multidisciplinary study |
Editors | Rose A. Tyson, Daniel V. Elerick |
Place of Publication | San Diego |
Publisher | San Diego Museum of Man |
Pages | 29-33 |
Number of pages | 5 |
ISBN (Print) | 0937808407 |
Publication status | Published - 1985 |
Publication series
Name | San Diego Museum Papers |
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Publisher | San Diego Museum of Man |
Volume | 19 |