84

This study is part of a research program which aims to perform a demogenetic analysis of the regional populations of Quebec using genealogical reconstructions. A specific goal is to measure biological kinship in the Saguenay-Lac-St-Jean (SLSJ) population and to compare the results to those obtained in the other regions of Quebec. Genealogical samples covering the entire Quebec territory and going back to the first immigrants were formed. Kinship measurements display an important variability among regions. Regarding the Quebec population history, these measurements confirm that the initial founder effect has undoubtedly left its mark but also that subsequent demographic events have brought about some degree of diversification of the regional gene pools. Results also demonstrate that close inbreeding is no more frequent in SLSJ than in the other regions but that remote consanguinity is among the highest. Therefore, the elevated frequency of some hereditary diseases in SLSJ can not be explained by particularities in spouse choice but rather is due to the characteristics of the settlement history of this region. Here, a genetic measurement, namely biological kinship, has increased knowledge and has contributed to dissipate some misunderstandings on the demographic history of the Saguenay-Lac-St-Jean population.