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Sickle Cell Anaemia, Genetic Variations, and the Slave Trade to the United States

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  22 January 2009

Walter A. Schroeder ,
Edwin S. Munger  and
Darleen R. Powars
Walter A. Schroeder
Affiliation:
California Institute of Technology
Edwin S. Munger
Affiliation:
California Institute of Technology
Darleen R. Powars
Affiliation:
University of Southern California
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Extract

Examination of the DNA of individuals with sickle cell anaemia who reside in various geographical areas in Africa has led to the conclusion that the gene for this genetic disease arose separately in three different locations. Similar studies of sickle cell anaemia patients in the United States provide considerable information about the frequency in the United States of these three genetic variations. On the basis of such data, it is possible to estimate the percentage of slave imports from a given African locale into the United States. When this is done, there is general concordance with previous conclusions from such sources as language studies, shipping data, etc.

Type
Research Article
Information
The Journal of African History , Volume 31 , Issue 2 , July 1990 , pp. 163 - 180
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1990

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