Mixe DNA
Genetic origins and closest populations · Mexico (Oaxaca) · Americas
The Mixe, who call themselves Ayuuk, live in the high Sierra Norte of Oaxaca in southern Mexico, a rugged region where they long kept a large degree of independence, and they are known for their brass bands and communal traditions. Their language belongs to the Mixe-Zoque family, which many scholars connect with the language of the Olmecs, the earliest major civilisation of Mesoamerica. In our model, the Mixe average is 97.2% Native American (Paleo-American) and 2.8% East Asian, with no European-related component, unlike the Maya (3.1%) or Zapotec (2.2%) averages. Their mountain isolation also shows in the distances: although the Zapotec are their neighbours in Oaxaca, they sit at 0.0315, while the closest modern average is the Tzotzil Maya of Chiapas (0.0184), followed by the Totonac and the Pima. The closest ancient groups are Classic-period people from Toluquilla in central Mexico (0.0193) and from Chichen Itza (0.0206), with precolonial Californians in between.
- Ancient components in our model: Native American (Paleo-American) 97.2%, East Asian 2.8%
- Closest modern population in our data: Maya (Tzotzil), distance 0.0184
- Closest ancient group in our data: Mexico Classic Toluquilla, distance 0.0193
This page sums up what the DNA of the Mixe sample tells us about deep origins. It is built from the averaged Global25 (G25) coordinates of individuals sampled in Mexico (Oaxaca), and it is one of 335 populations in our atlas. An average describes the group as a whole, not any single person in it.
Ancient make-up of the Mixe average
Modelled with deep ancestral reference populations, the Mixe average is explained almost entirely by Native American (Paleo-American) (97.2%). The Native American (Paleo-American) component reflects the ancestry of the Indigenous peoples of the Americas. That does not make the population uniform: the model simply has no finer reference population for this part of the world, and the closest populations below show the detail it cannot.
Smaller traces of East Asian (under 5%) 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 0.020), 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 Mixe
Ranking every modern population by genetic distance puts Maya (Tzotzil) first for Mixe, at 0.018, then Totonac and Pima. By the tenth closest (Mixtec) the distance grows to 0.033, a common pattern for a population that shares ancestry with its neighbours while keeping a profile of its own.
Most of the closest populations that have their own atlas page (5 of 5) are also from Americas, as geography would predict.
| # | Population | Distance | Closeness |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Maya (Tzotzil) | 0.0184 | Very close |
| 2 | Totonac | 0.0266 | Close |
| 3 | Pima | 0.0267 | Close |
| 4 | Mapuche (Huilliche) | 0.0268 | Close |
| 5 | Huichol | 0.0279 | Close |
| 6 | Maya (other sample set) | 0.0289 | Close |
| 7 | Maya | 0.0314 | Close |
| 8 | Zapotec | 0.0315 | Close |
| 9 | Nahua | 0.0323 | Close |
| 10 | Mixtec | 0.0329 | Close |
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 Mixe
Looking back in time, the ancient sample that most resembles the Mixe average is Mexico Classic Toluquilla (Classic Mesoamerica, c. 250-900 AD), at 0.019. USA Santa Rosa Island Late Precolonial and Mexico Classic Maya Chichen Itza come next. That is a very close match, which suggests strong genetic continuity between those ancient people (or close relatives of theirs) and the modern population. 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 | Mexico Classic Toluquilla | Classic Mesoamerica, c. 250-900 AD | 0.0193 |
| 2 | USA Santa Rosa Island Late Precolonial | Pre-colonial | 0.0204 |
| 3 | Mexico Classic Maya Chichen Itza | Classic Mesoamerica, c. 250-900 AD | 0.0206 |
| 4 | USA California Carmel Precolonial | Pre-colonial | 0.0207 |
| 5 | USA California Moaning Cave Precolonial | Pre-colonial | 0.0214 |
| 6 | USA Santa Rosa Island 3000BP | c. 1050 BC | 0.0215 |
| 7 | Mexico Colonial Period (Amerindian Profile) | Colonial era, c. 1500-1850 AD | 0.0221 |
| 8 | USA California Point Sal Precolonial Mainland Chumash | Pre-colonial | 0.0222 |
| 9 | Mexico Postclassic Toluquilla | Postclassic Mesoamerica, c. 900-1520 AD | 0.0228 |
| 10 | USA Santa Rosa Island 3200BP | c. 1250 BC | 0.0229 |
Ancient DNA from Mexico
Our ancient DNA database holds 144 individuals excavated in present-day Mexico, dated from about 860 BC to 1610 AD. The most frequent Y-DNA haplogroups among them are Q1b (92), E1b (3) and P1 (3), and the most frequent mtDNA haplogroups are A2 (47), B2 (31) and C1 (24). These are people who lived on the same land in the past, not necessarily ancestors of today's Mixe population.
Most frequent Y-DNA haplogroups
Ancient DNA studies on Mexico
- Exploring the Pathogen Profiles of Ancient Feces (2025)
- Ancient genomes reveal insights into ritual life at Chichén Itzá (2024)
- High levels of consanguinity in a child from Paquimé, Chihuahua, Mexico (2024)
- Demographic history and genetic structure in pre-Hispanic Central Mexico (2023)
- Origin and Health Status of First-Generation Africans from Early Colonial Mexico (2020)
Browse them in our ancient DNA database: 144 from Mexico.
Compare yourself with Mixe
Paste your G25 coordinates (scaled, one line, with or without a name in front) and we compute your genetic distance to the Mixe average and to its closest neighbours, right in your browser. Nothing is uploaded or stored.
| # | Population | Your distance | Closeness |
|---|
This list only covers Mixe 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 Mixe. 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 Mixe 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 Mixe?
Modelled with deep ancestral reference populations, the Mixe average is about 97.2% Native American (Paleo-American) and 2.8% East Asian. These proportions are model estimates for a group average, not exact values for any one person.
Which populations are genetically closest to Mixe?
In the G25 data, the closest modern populations to the Mixe average are Maya (Tzotzil), Totonac and Pima. The closest ancient matches are Mexico Classic Toluquilla, USA Santa Rosa Island Late Precolonial and Mexico Classic Maya Chichen Itza.
Can a DNA test tell me if I am Mixe?
No DNA test can confirm an ethnicity or a nationality. What DNA can show is how similar your genome is to the sampled Mixe 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 Mixe ancestry?
Raíces – Latin American Bloodline is the report built for this heritage, and its reference panel fits the Mixe 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.