Palaeontological Institute and Museum, University of Zurich, Karl Schmid-Strasse 4, 8006, Zurich, Switzerland.
School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, 2052, Australia.
Sci Rep. 2018 Jun 14;8(1):9129. doi: 10.1038/s41598-018-27384-3.
The Niata was a cattle variety from South America that figured prominently in writings on evolution by Charles Darwin. Its shortened head and other aspects of its unusual morphology have been subject of unsettled discussions since Darwin's time. Here, we examine the anatomy, cranial shape, skull biomechanics, and population genetics of the Niata. Our results show that the Niata was a viable variety of cattle and exhibited anatomical differences to known chondrodysplastic forms. In cranial shape and genetic analysis, the Niata occupies an isolated position clearly separated from other cattle. Computational biomechanical model comparison reveals that the shorter face of the Niata resulted in a restricted distribution and lower magnitude of stress during biting. Morphological and genetic data illustrate the acquisition of novelty in the domestication process and confirm the distinct nature of the Niata cattle, validating Darwin's view that it was a true breed.
尼塔牛是一种来自南美洲的牛品种，在查尔斯·达尔文的进化著作中占有重要地位。自达尔文时代以来，其缩短的头部和其他不寻常形态的特征一直是争议的主题。在这里，我们研究了尼塔牛的解剖结构、颅骨形状、颅骨生物力学和群体遗传学。我们的结果表明，尼塔牛是一种可行的牛品种，表现出与已知的软骨发育不良形式的解剖学差异。在颅骨形状和遗传分析中，尼塔牛占据了一个孤立的位置，与其他牛种明显分离。计算生物力学模型比较表明，尼塔牛较短的面部导致在咬食过程中压力的分布受限且幅度较低。形态学和遗传数据说明了在驯化过程中获得新颖性的情况，并证实了尼塔牛的独特性质，验证了达尔文的观点，即它是一个真正的品种。
