Ancient genomic changes associated with domestication of the horse.

DOI
Publisher DOI
PubMed ID
28450643
Abstract
The genomic changes underlying both early and late stages of horse domestication remain largely unknown. We examined the genomes of 14 early domestic horses from the Bronze and Iron Ages, dating to between ~4.1 and 2.3 thousand years before present. We find early domestication selection patterns supporting the neural crest hypothesis, which provides a unified developmental origin for common domestic traits. Within the past 2.3 thousand years, horses lost genetic diversity and archaic DNA tracts introgressed from a now-extinct lineage. They accumulated deleterious mutations later than expected under the cost-of-domestication hypothesis, probably because of breeding from limited numbers of stallions. We also reveal that Iron Age Scythian steppe nomads implemented breeding strategies involving no detectable inbreeding and selection for coat-color variation and robust forelimbs.
Date Issued
2017-04-28
Publication Type
Article
Subject(s)
Language(s)
en
Author(s)
Librado, Pablo
Gamba, Cristina
Gaunitz, Charleen
Der Sarkissian, Clio
Pruvost, Mélanie
Albrechtsen, Anders
Fages, Antoine
Khan, Naveed
Schubert, Mikkel
Serres-Armero, Aitor
Kuderna, Lukas F K
Povolotskaya, Inna S
Seguin-Orlando, Andaine
Lepetz, Sébastien
Neuditschko, Markus
Thèves, Catherine
Alquraishi, Saleh
Alfarhan, Ahmed H
Al-Rasheid, Khaled
Rieder, Stefan
Samashev, Zainolla
Francfort, Henri-Paul
Benecke, Norbert
Hofreiter, Michael
Ludwig, Arne
Keyser, Christine
Marques-Bonet, Tomas
Ludes, Bertrand
Crubézy, Eric
Willerslev, Eske
Orlando, Ludovic
Additional Credits
Journal
Science
Publisher
American Association for the Advancement of Science
ISSN
0036-8075
Access(Rights)
restricted
Show full item