Abstract
Ecuador is a small South American country with almost 12 million inhabitants comprised of three main ethnic groups: (a) Urban populations, usually dihybrid Mestizos- or trihybrid and (b) Amerindian natives, more than 100 multiethnic and pluricultural groups, and (c) African-derived populations in fairly isolated communities and descendants of slaves (1,2). Mestizos are the most representative and largest group in our country. They are descendants of Spanish (Caucasian) and Amerindian people. This is a new hybrid group, like the Mulatos who arose from Caucasians and Blacks or Zambos, a mixture of Amerindians and Blacks. We think that different degrees of genetic admixture exist, mainly with Amerindians, too. This situation has several variations towards the cities of the Andes and the cities of the Pacific coast.
