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Genetic variation of the Y chromosome in five Chibchan tribes (Bribri, Cabecar, Guaymi, Huetar, and Teribe) of Costa Rica and Panama was analyzed using six microsatellite loci (DYS19, DYS389A, DYS389B, DYS390, DYS391, and DYS393), the Y chromosome-specific alphoid system (αh), the Y-chromosome Alu polymorphism (YAP), and a specific pre-Columbian transition (C ↵ T) (M3 marker) in the DYS199 locus that defines the Q-M3 haplogroup. Thirty-nine haplotypes were found, resulting in a haplotype diversity of 0.937. The Huetar were the most diverse tribe, probably because of their high levels of interethnic admixture. A candidate founder Y-chromosome haplotype was identified (15. 1% of Chibchan chromosomes), with the following constitution: YAP-, DYS199∗T, αh-II, DYS19∗13, DYS389A∗I7, DYS389B∗10, DYS390∗24, DYS391∗10, and DYS393∗13. This haplotype is the same as the one described previously as one of the most frequent founder paternal lineages in native American populations. Analysis of molecular variance indicated that the between population variation was smaller than the within-population variation, and the comparison with mtDNA restriction data showed no evidence of differential structuring between maternally and paternally inherited genes in the Chibchan populations. The mismatch distribution approach indicated estimated coalescence times of the Y chromosomes of the Q-M3 haplogroup of 3.113 and 13.243 years before present; for the mtDNA-restriction haplotypes the estimated coalescence time was between 7.452 and 9,834 years before present. These results are compatible with the suggested time for the origin of the Chibchan group based on archeological, linguistic, and genetic evidence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]