THE BLOOD GROUPS OF MARINE ANIMALS
93
111. MARINE BLOOD GROUP RESEARCH
A. Introduction to and significance of research on the
blood groups of marine animals
This section presents researches that have been made or are in
progress on the blood groups of marine animals. Fortunately, it is
still possible to be confident that most of the work to dai% can be
covered by a review such as this, blood group studies forming a relatively compact unit of related researches.
Studies on the blood group antigens of marine animals obtain
information relevant to two broad kinds of problems that will ultiniately be interrelated. The first of these problems is understanding
the role of blood group antigens in metabolism (Springer, 1963), and the
relation of this role to ecological and evolutionary processes. This problem
has yet to be entered experimentally and will not be considered here.
The second problem is the determination of the extent to which
a single species of marine organism is subdivided into reproductively
isolated or partially isolated subpopulations (also variously termed
isolates, stocks, races, dernes, Mendelian populations). Such subpopulations form the basic units with which oceanographers, fisheries
biologists and evolutionists must deal and it is imperative that they
be readily and accurately identified (Walford, 1958). Marr (1957) has
coordinated and contributed to a collection of papers discussing
subpopulation research including one by Ridgway specifically concerned
with serology.
As discussed in the preceding section the value of blood grouping
antigens to population research lies in their serving as " genetic tags ",
unaffected in expression by environmental factors and readily studied
through the principles of population genetics. (See reviews and discussions by Stormont (1961), Marr (1062b), Marr and Sprague (1962),
Cushing (1963).) The most important single point in this connection
is that the discovery of a significant difference in the frequencies of
even a single blood group phenotype in samples from different populations is in itself strong suggestive evidence that the populations are
genetically isolated.
A corollary to this point is that failure to find sighificant differences
between samples does not necessarily mean that the samples have
come from a single genetically homogeneous and panmictic population.
is one possibility, but an a1ternatiT-e which cannot be excluded
that the samples came from genetically isolated stocks which did
not differ significantly with respect to the frequencies of the phenotypes being compared. Resolution of the above alternates through
93
111. MARINE BLOOD GROUP RESEARCH
A. Introduction to and significance of research on the
blood groups of marine animals
This section presents researches that have been made or are in
progress on the blood groups of marine animals. Fortunately, it is
still possible to be confident that most of the work to dai% can be
covered by a review such as this, blood group studies forming a relatively compact unit of related researches.
Studies on the blood group antigens of marine animals obtain
information relevant to two broad kinds of problems that will ultiniately be interrelated. The first of these problems is understanding
the role of blood group antigens in metabolism (Springer, 1963), and the
relation of this role to ecological and evolutionary processes. This problem
has yet to be entered experimentally and will not be considered here.
The second problem is the determination of the extent to which
a single species of marine organism is subdivided into reproductively
isolated or partially isolated subpopulations (also variously termed
isolates, stocks, races, dernes, Mendelian populations). Such subpopulations form the basic units with which oceanographers, fisheries
biologists and evolutionists must deal and it is imperative that they
be readily and accurately identified (Walford, 1958). Marr (1957) has
coordinated and contributed to a collection of papers discussing
subpopulation research including one by Ridgway specifically concerned
with serology.
As discussed in the preceding section the value of blood grouping
antigens to population research lies in their serving as " genetic tags ",
unaffected in expression by environmental factors and readily studied
through the principles of population genetics. (See reviews and discussions by Stormont (1961), Marr (1062b), Marr and Sprague (1962),
Cushing (1963).) The most important single point in this connection
is that the discovery of a significant difference in the frequencies of
even a single blood group phenotype in samples from different populations is in itself strong suggestive evidence that the populations are
genetically isolated.
A corollary to this point is that failure to find sighificant differences
between samples does not necessarily mean that the samples have
come from a single genetically homogeneous and panmictic population.
is one possibility, but an a1ternatiT-e which cannot be excluded
that the samples came from genetically isolated stocks which did
not differ significantly with respect to the frequencies of the phenotypes being compared. Resolution of the above alternates through