Dermatoglyphs of the population from the island of Rab (Croatia)

As a part of multidisciplinary anthropological research of population structure on Croatian island of Rab, finger and palm prints from 548 inhabitants (225 males and 323 females) of six villages on Rab were collected and their qualitative dermatoglyphic traits analysed. We calculated frequencies of patterns (whorls, loops and arches) on fingers, frequencies of patterns in the interdigital areas, Thenar and Hypothenar of the palms and frequencies of position of the axial triradius “t” (t, t′, t″ and other t) for male and female population of each village. Statistical analysis was performed by using Chi-square test, and Hiernaux Δg biological distances between pairs of populations were determined. The results of this study show existence of statistically significant diversity among the village populations in qualitative dermatoglyphic traits both for males and females. This variability found in the population from the island of Rab can be explained by influence of the microevolutionary factors through endogamy and the way of migrational flow on the island in course of history. Subpopulation of Barbat in the eastern part of Rab, which is the closest to the mainland, is probably different because of a high migration rate from the mainland during the past centuries. Subpopulations of Lopar, Supetarska Draga and Kampor were the most isolated subpopulations, situated in three different valleys in the west of Rab, and therefore genetic drift could have been more influential there and responsible for noticed differences.