Serum protein levels as anthropological markers: a statistical analysis in Binga Pygmies and Italians

Data on serum protein levels in Binga Pygmies are presented, and these are compared with the levels in healthy Italians and in Italians suffering from liver diseases. Principal Component Analysis carried out on the three groups points out similarities in protein levels between the Pygmies and the Italian Hepatopaths on one hand and between healthy and liver diseased Italians on the other. Discriminant Analyses reveal the important differences between the populations. It is suggested that such analyses of protein levels could serve as tools in population biology.