In the first broad analysis of the genome diversity of populations in the Latin America, marked differences were found between regions as well as a demonstrated “genetic continuity” between the pre-and post-Columbian populations. This study was published on March 21, 2008 in the open-access journal PLoS Genetics.

This analysis helps to create a better picture of how this region has been shaped by its colonial history. Beginning in the late 15th century, European colonization of the American continent precipitated social and political change, along with a major shift from a Native American population to one that is largely mixed. The genetic implications of this historical period are only now being examined thanks to the techniques and data available through the human genome project.

To this end, teams at universities across Latin America, the United States, and Europe were led by Dr. Andres Ruiz-Linares from University College London. Researchers investigated more than 700 genetic markers across the entire human genome, both autosomal and x-linked. Data was taken from over 200 individuals in 13 mestizo populations found in seven different Latin American countries. These were compared to samples of Europeans, Native Americans, and Africans.

The picture of Latin American mestizo genetics shows great variation between different regions as well as within the regions themselves. This was probably initiated by the colonization that occurred. Notably, Native and African women, as well as European men, appearto have contributed genes to the post-Columbian generations.

Additionally, despite the great length of time that has passed since the first colonization, and the extent of mixing with other groups, the genetics of the local, and often extinct, population are often preserved in Latin Americans. Even despite the unprecedented current mobility of populations, this connection remains, and brings meaning to the relationship between the Latin American population and the Native populations that currently inhabit these countries.

While giving insight on the events of the past, the authors hope that these investigations will provide some foundation for future studies that will aim to identify the genetics behind diseases that occur with different frequencies between Native Americans and Europeans. Until now, researchers have focused on populations that more closely resemble the original Native American and European populations, while the genomic diversity of populations with a history of large African immigration is still largely unexplored.

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Geographic Patterns of Genome Admixture in Latin American Mestizos
Wang S, Ray N, Rojas W, Parra MV, Bedoya G, et al
PLoS Genet 4(3): e1000037.
doi:10.1371/journal.pgen.1000037
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Written by Anna Sophia McKenney