Citation
The Origin of Huntington's Chorea in the Afrikaner Population of South Africa
TL;DR
Huntington's disease 10x more common in Afrikaners than other European populations
Traces Huntington's disease in the Afrikaner population through 14 generations to a single Dutch colonist who arrived in 1652. Over 200 affected individuals in 50+ families share common ancestry, demonstrating how founder effects can establish rare deleterious alleles at high frequency.
Illustrates how a single founder's traits - whether beneficial, neutral, or harmful - can persist at elevated frequency in a population that expanded from small founding numbers.
Key Findings from Hayden & al. (1980)
- Huntington's disease 10x more common in Afrikaners than other European populations
- Traced through 14 generations to single Dutch colonist (1652)
- Over 200 affected individuals in 50+ families share common ancestry