Measuring the impact of European colonization on Native American populations in Southern Brazil and Uruguay: Evidence from mtDNA.

Admixed populations represent an important genetic reservoir of Native American lineages, many of which are extinct in contemporary indigenous populations. In addition, the Native American lineages present in Admixed populations retain part of the past demographic history of Native Americans. The intensity of the reduction is congruent with historical accounts of strong indigenous depopulation during the colonization process.