title: [Surnames and isonymy in the Garifuna communities of the Atlantic Coast of Honduras].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  estimating random isonymy is an important tool in assessing the genetic structure of communities since its magnitude is, roughly, four times the inbreeding coefficient FST. The aim was to estimate the isonymy values from 26 Garifuna villages at the Atlantic coast of Honduras.
  
  
  METHODS
  surnames from databases of 26 communities obtained from Honduran Electoral Organism were analyzed. Random isonymy within communities and from the total was calculated, as well as associated common parameters. Lasker's genetic distances calculated from isonymy among pairs of communities were assessed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  relatively high values of random isonymy when compared to other rural communities in the revised literature were found. Additionally, relatively short pairwise genetic distances among communities, and a positive correlation with geographic distances were found.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  results from this and other previously published articles are congruent with historic isolation of the communities and a recent tendency towards homogenization due to high intercommunity migration rates observed in males. We assessed isolation by distance in some extend. Population characteristics of Garifuna communities make them ideal for searching susceptibility genes involved in complex diseases.
authors.affiliation: Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Católica de Honduras "Nuestra Señora de la Paz," Campus San Pedro y San Pablo, San Pedro Sula, Honduras. dherrera1000@live.com.
authors.forename: Edwin Francisco
authors.initials: EF
authors.lastname: Herrera-Paz
mesh_terms: D044383:Black People; D006721:Honduras; D006801:Humans; D009275:Names
keywords: genetic structures; isonymy