Guatemalan DNA
Genetic origins and closest populations · Guatemala · Americas
In Guatemala, the word Ladino refers to the Spanish-speaking population of mixed or non-Indigenous identity, as distinct from the many Maya peoples who make up a large part of the country. In colonial times, Santiago de los Caballeros, today's Antigua Guatemala, was the seat of the Captaincy General that governed most of Central America. This page uses the Ladino average. In our model, it is 42.9% Native American, while Anatolian Neolithic farmers (29.7%), steppe herders (16.3%) and Western hunter-gatherers (4.3%) together describe the European, mostly Spanish, side; West African (3.5%) and North African hunter-gatherer (3.1%) shares complete the picture, the latter a signal also found in many Iberians. Compared with our Maya average, 96.9% Native American, the difference is large, though the Indigenous roots are the same. The closest modern average is Salvadoran (0.0161), almost the same blend, followed by Mexican (0.0242) and Ecuadorian. No ancient group comes close (above 0.25), since none captures this recent mixture.
- Largest ancient components in our model: Native American (Paleo-American) 42.9%, Anatolian Neolithic farmers 29.7%, Steppe herders (Yamnaya) 16.3%
- Closest modern population in our data: Salvadoran, distance 0.0161
- Model fit: 0.0168, a close fit (global model)
Where does Guatemalan DNA sit on the genetic map of the world? To answer, we take the averaged Global25 (G25) coordinates of the Guatemalan individuals sampled in Guatemala, listed in the G25 sheet as "Guatemalan_Ladino" and compare them with deep ancestral reference populations, with other modern groups and with ancient genomes. It is one of 335 populations in our atlas.
Ancient make-up of the Guatemalan average
The ancient make-up of the Guatemalan average is led by Native American (Paleo-American) (42.9%), followed by Anatolian Neolithic farmers (29.7%) and Steppe herders (Yamnaya) (16.3%). The Native American (Paleo-American) component reflects the ancestry of the Indigenous peoples of the Americas. The Anatolian Neolithic farmers share (29.7%) reflects the Neolithic farmers of Anatolia, who carried agriculture into Europe from about 6500 BC.
Smaller traces of Western hunter-gatherers, West African and North African hunter-gatherers (Iberomaurusian) (under 5% each) also appear. At that level they can reflect real minor ancestry, but also simple model noise, so they should not be over-read. The model fits well (fit distance 0.017), so these proportions are a reasonable summary. This population was modelled with a global set of reference populations (ancient genomes, plus modern stand-ins where no suitable ancient genome exists), because West Eurasian sources alone cannot describe it.
Raíces – Latin American Bloodline
Closest modern populations to Guatemalan
Among the modern populations in the G25 data, the closest to the Guatemalan average is Salvadoran, at a distance of 0.016 (very close). Next come Mexican at 0.024 and Ecuadorian at 0.027. By the tenth closest (Colombian) the distance grows to 0.077, a common pattern for a population that shares ancestry with its neighbours while keeping a profile of its own.
| # | Population | Distance | Closeness |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Salvadoran | 0.0161 | Very close |
| 2 | Mexican | 0.0242 | Very close |
| 3 | Ecuadorian | 0.0268 | Close |
| 4 | Hispano (Texas, Tejano) | 0.0349 | Close |
| 5 | Belizean Mestizo | 0.0388 | Close |
| 6 | Panamanian Mestizo | 0.0483 | Close |
| 7 | Paraguayan Mestizo | 0.0493 | Close |
| 8 | Honduran Mestizo | 0.0507 | Moderate |
| 9 | Nicaraguan Mestizo | 0.0532 | Moderate |
| 10 | Colombian | 0.0766 | Moderate |
Distances are Euclidean distances between averaged G25 coordinates. On our scale, below 0.025 is very close, below 0.050 close, below 0.080 moderate, and beyond that distant.
Closest ancient populations to Guatemalan
If we search ancient DNA for the best match to Guatemalan, USA Alaska Trail Creek 9000BP (c. 7050 BC) comes first, at 0.251, with USA Alaska Ancient Beringian next. Even the best ancient match is distant, so the modern population is better described as a blend of several ancestral sources than as the continuation of one. A close ancient match is not proof of direct descent: it means those individuals carried a similar overall mix of ancestry.
| # | Ancient sample or group | Period | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | USA Alaska Trail Creek 9000BP | c. 7050 BC | 0.2506 |
| 2 | USA Alaska Ancient Beringian | Ancient Beringian, c. 9500 BC | 0.2721 |
| 3 | Greenland Early-High Medieval Viking Age Eastern Settlement (Early Norse, Norse Profile) | Viking Age, c. 800-1050 AD | 0.2936 |
| 4 | Mexico Early Modern Campeche (Iberian Profile) | Early Modern, c. 1500-1800 AD | 0.2947 |
| 5 | Greenland Early-High Medieval Viking Age Eastern Settlement (Early Norse, Mixed Gaelic-Norse Profile) | Viking Age, c. 800-1050 AD | 0.2948 |
| 6 | USA Pennsylvania Early Modern Shohola Creek (Northwest Euro Profile) | Early Modern, c. 1500-1800 AD | 0.2950 |
| 7 | USA Delaware Early Modern Avery's Rest (Northwest Euro Profile) | Early Modern, c. 1500-1800 AD | 0.2957 |
| 8 | USA Maryland Early Modern St. Mary's City English | Early Modern, c. 1500-1800 AD | 0.2960 |
| 9 | Greenland Early-High Medieval Viking Age Eastern Settlement (Late Norse, Mixed Gaelic-Norse Profile) | Viking Age, c. 800-1050 AD | 0.2991 |
| 10 | Canada Big Bar Lake 5700BP | c. 3750 BC | 0.3055 |
Ancient DNA from Guatemala
Our database lists the ancient DNA studies linked to Guatemala below.
Ancient DNA studies on Guatemala
Compare yourself with Guatemalan
Paste your G25 coordinates (scaled, one line, with or without a name in front) and we compute your genetic distance to the Guatemalan average and to its closest neighbours, right in your browser. Nothing is uploaded or stored.
| # | Population | Your distance | Closeness |
|---|
This list only covers Guatemalan and its neighbours. To find out which of our reports actually fits your DNA, run the free Report Finder: it runs the same fit test that every report uses before an order.
No G25 coordinates yet? Get a free simulated G25 from your raw DNA file, or order G25 coordinates.
About these numbers
Keep in mind that a population average is a statistical summary of a limited number of sampled individuals. Real people inside any group vary, some carry more of one ancestry and some less, and no genetic profile decides who is or is not Guatemalan. Use these numbers as a map of deep ancestry, not as a label.
Method: averaged G25 coordinates, Euclidean distances to other modern and ancient averages, and a non-negative least-squares model against deep ancestral reference populations (data generated 2026-10-01). Read the full method.
Go deeper than the average
This page describes the Guatemalan average. Your own DNA has its own story: Raíces – Latin American Bloodline (15€) models your genome against the ancient sources and modern communities of the region, era by era, in a personal PDF report.
A report built only for Latinos: pick your country and we model your DNA against its indigenous peoples plus every Old-World source of Latin American history, on an interactive map.
More populations from Americas
Frequently asked questions
What is the ancient genetic make-up of Guatemalan?
Modelled with deep ancestral reference populations, the Guatemalan average is about 42.9% Native American (Paleo-American), 29.7% Anatolian Neolithic farmers and 16.3% Steppe herders (Yamnaya). These proportions are model estimates for a group average, not exact values for any one person.
Which populations are genetically closest to Guatemalan?
In the G25 data, the closest modern populations to the Guatemalan average are Salvadoran, Mexican and Ecuadorian. The closest ancient matches are USA Alaska Trail Creek 9000BP, USA Alaska Ancient Beringian and Greenland Early-High Medieval Viking Age Eastern Settlement (Early Norse, Norse Profile).
Can a DNA test tell me if I am Guatemalan?
No DNA test can confirm an ethnicity or a nationality. What DNA can show is how similar your genome is to the sampled Guatemalan average and to its neighbours. If you have G25 coordinates, paste them in the comparison box on this page to check that for free.
Which ExploreYourDNA report suits Guatemalan ancestry?
Raíces – Latin American Bloodline is the report built for this heritage, and its reference panel fits the Guatemalan average closely. Your own DNA may differ from the average, so the free Report Finder checks every report against your file before you buy.
Where does the data on this page come from?
From the averaged Global25 (G25) coordinates of the sampled individuals: genetic distances to other modern and ancient population averages, and a non-negative least-squares model against deep ancestral reference populations. The full method is described at https://www.exploreyourdna.com/populations#method.