Repeating Pairs of Surnames in Marriages in Reading (England) and Their Significance for Population Structure

Document Type

Article

Authors

G W. Lasker, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI
C G.N Mascie-Taylor, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, U.K.
D A. Coleman, University of Oxford, Oxford, U.K.

Abstract

Among 2392 marriages in one recent year, 19 couples had surnames identical to those of one or more other couples. Repetitions of pairs of names were significantly more frequent (x2(1) = 4.19) than expected at random. A modified formulation of the frequency of repetitions (RP2) was more informative about population structure than was marital isonymy, of which there were two instances. A tendency to a continuing small but significant reduction in genetic variability therefore can be inferred.

Recommended Citation

Lasker, G W.; Mascie-Taylor, C G.N; and Coleman, D A. (1986) "Repeating Pairs of Surnames in Marriages in Reading (England) and Their Significance for Population Structure," Human Biology: Vol. 58: Iss. 3, Article 10.
Available at: https://digitalcommons.wayne.edu/humbiol/vol58/iss3/10