Y-STR diversity and ethnic admixture in White and Mulatto Brazilian population samples

ABSTRACT

We investigated 50 Mulatto and 120 White Brazilians for the Y-chromosome short tandem repeat (Y-STR) markers (DYS19, DYS390, DYS391, DYS392 and DYS393) and found 79 different haplotypes in the White and 35 in the Mulatto sample. Admixture estimates based on allele frequencies showed that the admixture of the white sample was 89 percent European, 6 percent African and 5 percent Amerindian while the Mulatto sample was 93 percent European and 7 percent African. Results were consistent with historical records of the directional mating between European males and Amerindian or African females.