Unfortunately, although it is broadly known that the history of Latin America entailed an extensive admixture of Native Americans, Europeans and Africans, few details are known about this process or about its genetic correlates[16]–[19]. Early demographic history data is scant and population genetic studies in the region are so far quite restricted in terms of the number of populations and/or markers that have been examined [20],[21]. A genomic survey of admixture in populations across Latin America is therefore of considerable historical interest and is also important for assessing the context in which admixture mapping could be applied in populations from the region.
