Forensic parameters for 15 STRs in eight Amerindian populations from the north and west of Mexico

Allele frequency distributions for 15 STR loci (AmpFlSTR Identifiler kit) were estimated in 825 volunteers of the following eight Mexican-Amerindian populations from two geographical regions: (1) North: Tarahumara (204), Mayo (45), Seri (28), and Guarijío (17); (2) Northwest: Tepehuano (123), Mexicanero (84), Cora (85), and Huichol (239). Genotype frequency distribution was in agreement with Hardy-Weinberg expectations for all 15 STRs, excepting for two loci (D13S317 and FGA) in the Huichol population. The power of discrimination and power of exclusion values were both larger than 0.99999. These STR databases will support the correct interpreting of DNA profiles in paternity testing and forensic cases in Mexican-Amerindian groups from these regions, until know poorly studied. Genetic distances and pairwise comparisons were estimated between populations. A significant genetic differentiation was observed between these Mexican-Amerindian groups (F_ST = 3.43%; p = 0.0000) that was 10 times larger than the observed between Mestizos (F _ST = 0.34%), which represent most of the Mexican population (∼90%). This result was in agreement with the incapability to cluster these Native American populations by geographic criteria. Pre-Colombian descriptions of Aridoamerica, including the North region of Mexico, suggest genetic drift effects to explain this noticeable population differentiation of Mexican-Amerindian groups.