Genetic Structure of a Rural Region in Spain: Distribution of Surnames and Gene Flow

Abstract The biodemography of isolated populations with a subsistence economy is of special interest because the conditions to which the populations have been subjected are similar to those present over a large part of the history of our species, and hence the conclusions drawn can be extrapolated to other similar populations. In the present work, we used two recently employed techniques (self-organizing maps and Monmonier's algorithm) to study the genetic structure of a small rural region: Fuentes Carrionas (province of Palencia, Spain). The study was based on information contained in marriage registers and family reconstructions for the period 1880–1979. We calculated the coefficients of relationships (Hedrick) among the parishes (by isonymy and parent-offspring matrix) and studied their relationship with geographic distances (Mantel). Then, using Monmonier's algorithm, we examined the genetic barriers. Finally, by applying self-organizing maps, we studied the distribution of surnames. The correlation b...