PITCAIRN ISLANDERS

Gisborne Times, Volume LXXI, Issue 11280, 9 August 1930, Page 2

PITCAIRN ISLANDERS

' •'* ' —Ofc :— : ■■WORKINGS OF HEREDITY.

To the scientist .who‘.is devoting ins life to tho- study of' anthropology and human genetics the island or Pitcairn in an isolated corner of the South Pacific,. offers one. of his knottiest problems, says the Now.,York Times, i l. Living , on the tiny island kingdom .of less than two miles Square, are a. group of 195 ; people, all of them having common ancestors. • They; are of keen scientific interest because they" are the offspring of. a cross between two distinct .rascial groups, the English and the Polynesian. All are descendants, of nine mutineers who more than a century ago/"escaped; (from the (British -man-q’-war. "Bq.untv.-; . ' ' Consequently, the 195 persons wqq focm. .tife , community.' are' closely, related by /bloodr .‘Sdnie. " r show , the . tracesof‘the' T.ohitaA 1 ajfcdstfysome show pronpunee'drEnglish 'traits. But most of the phpulation;..sliqw < a . mosa(ic of English.'.apd' characteristics. Despite interbreeding, according (to , £ J>iv J H.!V Shapiro,'-'' of the American ;, Mtis‘eUm( of -Natural 'History, who has paid the island sew oral’■■'visits -to study its - inhabitantsift close,. range, there is no evidence of deteridration in', the . offspring; of ,'these people:"' ' (■ v “. J ■Strong evidence of gentle hohavious along :l Mendelian 1 "Hues'.' Were fbund by J)r. Shapiro,; This scientist; Who says the. inhabitants of tho islaud. offer a prpblpih of (human genetics “of vast .possibilities,”., studied the- qualitative; • characters,;;', such las dye colour, skin, colour, and banform and. cqloufjfand,; f.Ouffd ahiple }ndicatious in support of the of heredity in hybrids put forward by the famous Austrian abbot.'_ ,i Tbbsie peopld are iiiisqphiticate’ci. The 501 e... vyork of the nien is' to' get food for '■ thb ’ fhihijy—td' pick fruit and to-catch fish of fotvl.. Periodically the rneli ‘gd, bn'aw; hajing trip, which they carry .on in accordance (jyiih,v(tlioANew ,< :BcilfoNpt style. The vyomen, keep. house. and weave, baskets -and occasionally .make a. If now dross. ’ , 4; The' children •go 1 tq. 'Schbol in .a 1 it(tlb hut, where ;an aged man: who taught" their . parent? and: grandparents. teacliqs' them the -rudiments of English', ! '. (iihingf the: VBiblefhitd ‘the Book of Common Prayer,’its "-.his chief text-books. • r.or'faniiiseiflfeht, once a yfeek: thq'Community :iri<du]ge; ih sing■iffs :ff X~. :