• 1 January 1979
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 31  (6) , 731-740
Abstract
The number of private electrophoretic variants of enzymes controlled by 25 loci was used to obtain estimates of mutation rate in Australian Aborigines. Three different methods yield values of 6.11 .times. 10-6, 2.78 .times. 10-6 and 12.86 .times. 10-6/locus per generation for the total sample of Aborigines. One tribal population of Waljbiri in central Australia gives values of 2.99 .times. 10-6 and 2.04 .times. 10-6 for 2 of the methods, the 3rd being unapplicable. The mean mutation rate for the total Aboriginal samples of 7.25 .times. 10-6 is very similar to the value obtained by Neel and his colleagues for Amerindians in South America.