2
Maoris (7), and now in Marshallese becomesa significant finding in view ofits -

occurrence in Mongoloids, Eskimos, and

Amerindians (8), to whom Heyerdahl
(9) credits the population of Polynesia.
The present findings (12) indicate a
rather homogenous population of the
Marshall Islands with extremes of gene
frequencies. With some reservations, because of the relatively small sample, the
following facts are of interest in the blood
groupings of the Marshallese: (i) the extremely high frequency of the O gene
(78.9 per cent); (ii) the extremely low
frequency of the M gene (14 percent);
(iii) the highest incidence of the R}
gene yet reported (98.5. percent); (iv)
the presence of 10.8 percent of Duffy

The investigations of numerous au-

thors,

single example of A,B.

0

and summarized

by

Mourant, relate these blood groupings
most nearly to those found in Southeast
Asia and Indonesia, where relatively
frequent B genes, a high N frequency,
and a similarly high frequency of the R?
gene are found.
Lzon N. Sussman
Department of Laboratories.
Beth Israel Hospital, New York
Leo H. Meyer
South Nassau Communities Hospital,
Oceanside, New York

Rosert A. Conarp
Medical Department,
Brookhaven National Laboratory,
Upton, New York

(Fy") negatives; (v) the absence of the

Kell and Diego blood factors; (vi) a

compiled

References and Notes
1.

R. A. Conard, L. M. Meyer, W. Wollins, W.
W. Sutow, J. 5. Robertson, A. Lowery, H. C.

2.

Urshel, J. M. Barton, “Medical survey of
Marshallese four years post exposure,” in
preparation.
W. C. Boyd and R. Shapleigh, J. Lab. Clin.

Med. 44, 235 (1954).
3. A, E. Mourant, The Distribution of the Human Blood Groups (Thomas, Springfield, TL,
1954), p. 123; L. N. Sussman, Am. J. Clin.

4.

Pathol. 26, 471 (1956).

R. T. Simmons, J. J. Graydon, N. M. Semple,
Jj. B. Birdsell, J. D. Milbourne, J. R. Lee,
Am. J. Physical Anthropol. 10, 31 (1953).
5. We are indebted to Dr. Philip Levine, who
supplied the anti-Di* serum, and to Dr.
Miguel Layrisse, who supplied the Di*-positive cells for control.

6. R. T. Simmons and J. J. Graydon, Am. J.
Physical Anthropol. 15, 357 (1957).
7. H. Lehmann, A. North, J. M. Staveley, Na8

ture 181, 791 (1958).
P. Levine, M. Layrisse, E. A. Robinson, T.

Arends, R. D. Sisco, ibid. 177, 40 (1956); M.

Layrisse and T. Arends, ibid. 177, 1083 (1956) ;
M. Lewis, H. Ayukawa, B. Chown, P. Levine,
9.

ibid. 177, 1084 (1956).

T. Heyerdabl, American Indians in the Pacific:
The Theory Behind the Kon-Tiki Expedition
(Allen and Unwin, London, 1952), p. 821.
10. We acknowledge the technical assistance of
Hannah Pretshold.
5 August 1958

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