Mitochondrial DNA diversity in the Llanos de Moxos: Moxo, Movima and Yuracare Amerindian populations from Bolivia lowlands

Abstract

The genetic diversity observed in the Beni area is higher than that observed in other American populations living in much larger areas and with a long, known evolutionary history, despite the reduced area of Moxos. This could result from processes of reproductive isolation between groups, followed by population expansions and migration, where genetic drift might have be a major evolutionary force in population differentiation.