Saturday, August 18, 2012

DNA and Taino People

DID YOU KNOW - DNA science affirms that a majority of Puerto Ricans can trace their American Indian linage via their maternal lines. In 2000, a DNA study was conducted revealing a 69.6% frequency of American Indian mtDNA (mitochondrial DNA) among a sample of individuals who claimed an indigenous maternal ancestor. In 2005, the study was again conducted using a broader sample set of 800 random individuals taken from throughout the island. This study concluded that approximately that 61.3% of Puerto Ricans have an American Indian maternal ancestry. Similar studies have been conducted in the Dominican Republic and in Cuba.  - UCTP Taino News © 2012