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Genetic diversity among five Native American tribes of Colombia: Evidence from nine autosomal microsatellites

Abstract:

This paper reports upon the validity of using nine highly polymorphic autosomal microsatellites to assess genetic diversity among five tribes of Colombian Indians (Arsario, Kogui, Ijka, Coreguaje, and Wayuu), and also their usefulness in detecting admixture. The tribes investigated exhibit linguistic diversity, inhabit extreme and diverse environments, as well as varying in population size. Previous studies of “classical” genetic markers indicated that the tribes also differ considerably with respect to levels of admixture with both Caucasians and Africans. Our data show that the pattern of genetic variation observed among the native Colombians reflects the following factors: geography, ecology, language, population size and history. Microsatellite data confirm both the genetic similarity of the Arsario and Kogui tribes that live at high altitude, and the absence of admixture with outside groups. Their low levels of …