Phenotypic consequences of nonrandom migration in the Jirels of Nepal

The phenotypic structure of human populations is shaped by a number of factors such as population size and marital migration. This paper examines the impact of migration on the between-village phenotypic differentiation of the Jirels, a tribal group of eastern Nepal. Data on stature and five cranial measurements for 526 individuals (males and females) are utilized to illustrate the patterns of phenotypic variation. A permutation method is used to generate the phenotypic consequences of random migration constrained to observed levels of movement. The results suggest that Jirel migration is nonrandom and that it produces higher levels of phenotypic differentiation than would result from a random migration process.