mtDNA investigation of the Cayapa (Chachi), an indigenous population of Ecuador with high record of the American founder lineage D4h3a

Bodner,M.; Huber,G.; Zimmermann,B.; Xavier,C.; Würzner,R.; Parson,W.

Native American mtDNA diversity is characterized by four common “pan-American” haplogroups (A2, B2, C1, D1) and several minor lineages with limited, sometimes enigmatic dispersal. After the rough picture of American colonization has been clarified in the last decades, the focus of Paleo-Indian mtDNA population genetics has moved towards high-resolution analyses of geographically restricted areas, single tribes, and minor or local lineages that may convey more detailed insights on (additional) migratory waves and routes in the peopling of the Americas.