Günther Torsten, Chisausky Jacob, Galindo-Pellicena Ángeles M, Iriarte Eneko, Cortes Gardyn Oscar, Eusebi Paulina G, García-González Rebeca, Ureña Irene, Moreno-García Marta, Alday Alfonso, Rojo Manuel, Pérez Amalia, Tejedor Rodríguez Cristina, García Martínez de Lagrán Iñigo, Arsuaga Juan Luis, Carretero José-Miguel, Götherström Anders, Smith Colin, Valdiosera Cristina
Human Evolution, Department of Organismal Biology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.
Centro Mixto UCM-ISCIII de Evolución y Comportamiento Humanos, Madrid, Spain.
Elife. 2025 Mar 19;13:RP93076. doi: 10.7554/eLife.93076.
Cattle () play an important role in the life of humans in the Iberian Peninsula not just as a food source but also in cultural events. When domestic cattle were first introduced to Iberia, wild aurochs () were still present, leaving ample opportunity for mating (whether intended by farmers or not). Using a temporal bioarchaeological dataset covering eight millennia, we trace gene flow between the two groups. Our results show frequent hybridisation during the Neolithic and Chalcolithic, likely reflecting a mix of hunting and herding or relatively unmanaged herds, with mostly male aurochs and female domestic cattle involved. This is supported by isotopic evidence consistent with ecological niche sharing, with only a few domestic cattle possibly being managed. The proportion of aurochs ancestry in domestic cattle remains relatively constant from about 4000 years ago, probably due to herd management and selection against first generation hybrids, coinciding with other cultural transitions. The constant level of wild ancestry (~20%) continues into modern Western European breeds including Iberian cattle selected for aggressiveness and fighting ability. This study illuminates the genomic impact of human actions and wild introgression in the establishment of cattle as one of the most important domestic species today.
牛（）在伊比利亚半岛人类生活中扮演着重要角色，不仅是食物来源，还在文化活动中发挥作用。当家养牛首次被引入伊比利亚时，野生原牛（）仍然存在，这为杂交（无论农民是否有意）留下了充足机会。利用涵盖八千年的时间生物考古数据集，我们追踪了这两个群体之间的基因流动。我们的结果表明，新石器时代和铜石并用时代频繁发生杂交，这可能反映了狩猎与放牧的混合，或者是管理相对粗放的畜群，其中大多涉及雄性原牛和雌性家养牛。这得到了与生态位共享一致的同位素证据的支持，当时可能只有少数家养牛得到管理。自大约4000年前起，家养牛中原牛血统的比例相对保持稳定，这可能是由于畜群管理以及对第一代杂交种的选择，这与其他文化转变同时发生。野生血统的恒定水平（约20%）一直延续到现代西欧品种，包括因好斗性和战斗能力而被选育的伊比利亚牛。这项研究揭示了人类行为和野生基因渗入对牛作为当今最重要家养物种之一的形成所产生的基因组影响。
