Davit Chitanava
Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University.
Institute of History and Ethnology.
Senior Researcher of Anthropological Research Laboratory.
Tbilisi, Georgia
ORCID:
Davit Chitanava
Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University.
Institute of History and Ethnology.
Senior Researcher of Anthropological Research Laboratory.
Tbilisi, Georgia
ORCID:
Polymorphism of surnames and morphological and genetic composition of the population
Abstract
The analysis of the distribution area of surnames is increasingly used in modern anthropological research, as there are certain parallels between historical and genetic similarities of populations. The reconstruction of the formation of an ethnic group is based on various (archaeological, anthropological, ethnological, linguistic, historical, etc.) sources. Modern surnames belong to this series, as they are indicators of those specific anthropological characteristics, bearers of which are an integral part of an ethnos and create its history; they provide genetic polymorphism, are transmitted from generation to generation and are formed as genetic markers. The surname is one of the most significant tools for studying the variability of genetic and demographic indicators, as they are characterized by the variability in quantity over time, as well as a decrease or increase in the number of surname carriers, which makes it possible to judge changes in the genetic composition of populations and the different contributions of different surnames in the preservation of genetic diversity (polymorphism) of an ethnos.
The very high morphological similarity between Abkhazians and Georgians, obtained on the basis of anthropological systems, was explained by the analysis of the morphological appearance and common surnames (about 80 % of which are considered Georgian and common in various regions of Georgia) of Abkhazians from Ochamchire, Gudauta and Gagra, which were studied on the basis of data from various branches of anthropology. This is a clear illustration of the importance attached to surnames in anthropological research. The surname, like the DNA markers of the Y chromosome, is passed down from generation to generation along the paternal line and is equal to the information received by one codominant genetic system. Thus, the surname is, on the one hand, a social formation, and on the other, an analogue of a genetic marker. It, like genes (or, more correctly, together with genes), shifts in space, changes in time (for example, it gives rise to new surnames, etc.). In contrast to genes, it is not subject to mutation. It remains the carrier of the same genetics, only increasing the spectrum (quantity) of the surname. It also gives us information about marital relations (marriage migration), allows us to study marital preferences, determine genetic and morphological polymorphism of the population, and identify possible inbreeding. It is believed that the number of surname carriers in a population is subject to genetic drift. Genealogical studies of surnames, in which the surname with its system of marriages and gene pool is considered a genetic marker, provide us with valuable information on each component of ethnogenesis. They also greatly help to interpret the results of DNA marker studies in terms of identifying the frequency, original area and direction of distribution of individual Y-chromosome haplogroups, as well as establishing family ties between different surnames. Such studies are relevant and promising.
Keywords: Morphological and genetic polymorphism, surnames, DNA markers, marriage migration.