Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-lnqnp Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-29T10:33:31.236Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

ISONYMIC RELATIONSHIPS IN ETHNO-SOCIAL CATEGORIES (ARGENTINIAN COLONIAL PERIOD) INCLUDING ILLEGITIMATE REPRODUCTION

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  30 March 2005

SONIA E. COLANTONIO
Affiliation:
Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Argentina Facultad de Biología, Departamento de Zoología y Antropología Física, Universidad Complutense, Madrid, Spain
VICENTE FUSTER
Affiliation:
Centro de Investigaciones, Facultad de Filosofía y Humanidades, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Argentina
MARÍA DEL CARMEN
Affiliation:
Centro de Investigaciones, Facultad de Filosofía y Humanidades, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Argentina
JAVIER G. LASCANO
Affiliation:
Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Argentina

Abstract

Surnames provide a useful method to study the structure of human populations for which biological data are not available. The isonymic method has had multiple applications, but difficulties emerge when dealing with groups where extramarital reproduction is common and the sample size is small, and even more so when only paternal surnames are taken into account. Therefore, it could be of interest to retain female surnames, including those of unmarried mothers. This study was carried out using all birth records from an Argentinian population in the colonial period, which was characterized by the presence of different ethno-social groups (Spanish, Indian and ‘Mestizo’ or mixed Spanish–Indian) and various reproductive patterns regarding legitimacy. Coefficient of relationship by isonymy (Ri) kinship matrices between geographical populations were obtained, and the results derived from sets of surnames (paternal, maternal of legitimate and illegitimate children, and all surnames in the registers) compared. The results show similar surname distribution regardless of the set of surnames and group considered. Kinship Ri matrices using paternal surnames, maternal surnames of legitimate children, maternal surnames of illegitimate children, and the set of whole surnames showed the same relationships among populations, indicating a similar pattern for Spanish, Indian and Mixed ethno-social groups. Mantel test correlation between all pairs of matrices was significant in all different ethno-social groups. The results suggest that in populations with high illegitimacy, such as that studied here, it is possible to include maternal surnames, even corresponding to single mothers, in order to consider total reproduction and therefore maximize sample size.

Type
Regular Articles
Copyright
2005 Cambridge University Press

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)