Isonymic Relations in the Bolivia-Argentina Border Region

Area of Science:

• Population Genetics
• Anthropology
• Geopolitics

Background:

• Migration alters population structures by blending cultural and genetic histories.
• Analyzing border regions requires interdisciplinary approaches, including demographic and geopolitical perspectives.
• Isonymy, the study of surname distribution, offers insights into population genetic structure due to surnames' vertical transmission.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze the impact of the Bolivian-Argentine border on population structure using isonymic analysis.
• To quantify the genetic relationship between border communities in southern Bolivia and northern Argentina.

Main Methods:

• Isonymic analysis of surname distribution from electoral registers.
• Calculation of Euclidean and geographic distance matrices for 89 border sections.
• Clustering analysis to identify population genetic relationships.

Main Results:

• Lower average isonymic distance was observed within Bolivian populations compared to Argentine populations.
• Argentine sections formed three distinct clusters, with only one cluster including a Bolivian section.
• Higher isonymic distance was found along the border, indicating reduced gene flow.
• The international boundary functions as a barrier to surname distribution, irrespective of human mobility and transborder conurbations.

Conclusions:

• The Bolivian-Argentine border significantly influences surname distribution and population structure.
• Observed surname patterns may reflect pre-Columbian regional organization.
• Isonymy is a valuable tool for understanding demographic and geopolitical dynamics in border regions.