Maximum likelihood estimates of admixture in northeastern Mexico using 13 short tandem repeat loci

Tetrameric short tandem repeat (STR) polymorphisms are widely used in population genetics, molecular evolution, gene mapping and linkage analysis, paternity tests, forensic analysis, and medical applications. This article provides allelic distributions of the STR loci D3S1358, vWA, FGA, D8S1179, D21S11, D18S51, D5S818, D13S317, D7S820, CSF1PO, TPOX, TH01, and D16S539 in 143 Mestizos from Northeastern Mexico, estimates of contributions of genes of European (Spanish), American Indian and African origin in the gene pool of this admixed Mestizo population (using 10 of these loci); and a comparison of the genetic admixture of this population with the previously reported two polymorphic molecular markers, D1S80 and HLA‐DQA1 (n = 103). Genotype distributions were in agreement with Hardy‐Weinberg expectations (HWE) for almost all 13 STR markers. Maximum likelihood estimates of admixture components yield a trihybrid model with Spanish, Amerindian, and African ancestry with the admixture proportions: 54.99% ± 3.44, 39.99% ± 2.57, and 5.02% ± 2.82, respectively. These estimates were not significantly different from those obtained using D1S80 and HLA‐DQA1 loci (59.99% ± 5.94, 36.99% ± 5.04, and 3.02% ± 2.76). In conclusion, Mestizos of Northeastern Mexico showed a similar ancestral contribution independent of the markers used for evolutionary purposes. Further validation of this database supports the use of the 13 STR loci along with D1S80 and HLA‐DQA1 as a battery of efficient DNA forensic markers in Northeastern Mestizo populations of Mexico. Am. J. Hum. Biol. 14:429–439, 2002. © 2002 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.