Economic condition and demography among the Mahishyas of Chakpota village, Howrah district, West Bengal

Abstract

SummaryDemographic and socioeconomic data were collected from the Hindu, Mahishya caste community of Chakpota village, Amta Police Station area, Howrah district, West Bengal, to examine the possible effects of economic differences on fertility and mortality, and their potential genetic consequences. The age structure of the low, medium and high economic groups suggests decreasing growth potentials from the former to the latter, with a recent decline of fertility in all the three groups. Analogously, a trend of fertility and mortality decline from the low to high economic groups seems to exist, although with some exceptions. The index of total selection intensity (I) is the highest in the low economic group. Genetic selection seems to be sensitive even to very small differences in economic condition, among related subpopulations of the same population, sharing very similar physical environmental stresses.