Smurfit Institute of Genetics, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin D02 PN40, Ireland.
Department of Earth Sciences, Natural History Museum, London SW7 5BD, UK.
Science. 2019 Jul 12;365(6449):173-176. doi: 10.1126/science.aav1002.
Genome-wide analysis of 67 ancient Near Eastern cattle, remains reveals regional variation that has since been obscured by admixture in modern populations. Comparisons of genomes of early domestic cattle to their aurochs progenitors identify diverse origins with separate introgressions of wild stock. A later region-wide Bronze Age shift indicates rapid and widespread introgression of zebu, from the Indus Valley. This process was likely stimulated at the onset of the current geological age, ~4.2 thousand years ago, by a widespread multicentury drought. In contrast to genome-wide admixture, mitochondrial DNA stasis supports that this introgression was male-driven, suggesting that selection of arid-adapted zebu bulls enhanced herd survival. This human-mediated migration of zebu-derived genetics has continued through millennia, altering tropical herding on each continent.
对 67 份古代近东牛遗骸的全基因组分析揭示了区域变异，而这些变异在现代种群的混合中已经变得模糊不清。早期家养牛的基因组与它们的野牛祖先的比较确定了不同的起源，并伴有野生种群的不同渗入。后来的青铜时代的区域范围的转变表明，印度河流域的瘤牛迅速而广泛地渗透进来。这一过程可能是在当前地质时代的开始时，大约 4200 年前，由一场持续数百年的广泛干旱所刺激的。与全基因组混合形成鲜明对比的是，线粒体 DNA 的稳定支持了这种渗入是由雄性驱动的，这表明对干旱适应的瘤牛公牛的选择增强了牛群的生存能力。这种由人类介导的瘤牛遗传基因的迁移已经持续了数千年，改变了各大洲的热带放牧方式。
