Scientists Compared Puerto Rican DNA to the World — The Result Surprised Everyone

Where did Puerto Ricans really come from? DNA research uncovers a remarkable story connecting the island to Indigenous Caribbean peoples, Europe, and Africa.

In a 2011 study of 642 Puerto Ricans, researchers estimated average ancestry of approximately 64% European, 21% African, and 15% Indigenous American. Yet maternal DNA tells a surprising story: a separate study found Indigenous maternal lineages in around 61% of its 800 participants.

Ancient Caribbean genomes also revealed genetic relationships between precolonial Taíno populations and Indigenous ancestry preserved in Puerto Ricans today.

Discover how migrations from northern South America, Spanish colonization, and the forced arrival of Africans shaped different family histories.

Every Puerto Rican's ancestry is individual. Subscribe for more DNA discoveries and history.

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