Figure 1 - uploaded by Michael Hofreiter
Content may be subject to copyright.
Locations of cattle domestication centres compared with aurochs distribution. Map indicating the proposed centres and ages of taurine and indicine cattle domestication, relative to the Chinese specimen investigated in this study. The distribution of aurochs (Bos primigenius) is displayed in red (after ref. 12), showing the presence of aurochs in the region where the proposed cattle management took place.

Locations of cattle domestication centres compared with aurochs distribution. Map indicating the proposed centres and ages of taurine and indicine cattle domestication, relative to the Chinese specimen investigated in this study. The distribution of aurochs (Bos primigenius) is displayed in red (after ref. 12), showing the presence of aurochs in the region where the proposed cattle management took place.

Source publication
Article
Full-text available
The domestication of cattle is generally accepted to have taken place in two independent centres: around 10,500 years ago in the Near East, giving rise to modern taurine cattle, and two millennia later in southern Asia, giving rise to zebu cattle. Here we provide firmly dated morphological and genetic evidence for early Holocene management of tauri...

Contexts in source publication

Context 1
... dating of the specimen. In 2005, a well-preserved complete bovid mandible was discovered from the Kongni ditch (45° 53" N, 125° 55" E), 48 km NWW of Harbin in northeastern China (Fig. 1). From the discovery context, the age of the cattle specimen was estimated to be Late Pleistocene. Two subsamples of bone from the cattle mandible were sent to two different laboratories for radiocarbon dating: the Leibniz Laboratory for Radiometric Dating and Stable Isotope Research in Kiel (Germany) and the Joint Laboratory of ...
Context 2
... characteristics. The specimen consists of con- joining left and right mandibles, with full tooth rows from the second premolar to the third molar (that is, P2-M3; Supplementary Fig. S1) on both mandibles. Both the specimen's overall morphology and detailed morphology of the molar teeth allow confident attribution to Bos, rather than Bison or other large selenodont mammals. ...
Context 3
... attrition and thus a relatively advanced age 14 . The mandible exhibits exceptional attrition affecting the mesial half of M1 and the distal one-third of the adjacent P4. In this region, the mandibular occlusal plane (that is, the 'chewing surface' of the teeth) is sharply concave, deviating by 7-8 mm from the gentle curve of the occlusal plane (Fig. 2, Supplementary Fig. S1). This localized hyperattrition is bilateral, and developed to a closely similar extent on both mandibles. On the buccal aspect of the left mandible, there is an area of reactive periostitis that extends along the alveolar margin from the distal edge of P3 to the distal edge of M1, indicating long-term repetitive stress on this ...

Similar publications

Article
Full-text available
The complete mitogenome of Thoosa mismalolli Carballo, Cruz-Barraza & Gómez, 2004 (Tetractinellida, Thoosidae) was sequenced. This is the first complete mitogenome of the suborden Thoosina and the third Tetractinellid so far. The mitochondrial genome of T. mismalolli was assembled based on reads obtained with the Illumina HiSeq platform. The length...
Article
Full-text available
The complete mitochondrial genomes of four fish species of the commercially important family Latidae were sequenced using the Illumina MiSeq, thereby significantly increasing the mitogenomic resources for the family. Whole mitogenome-based phylogenetic analysis supports the monophyly of the genus Lates and more generally the family Latidae. The mit...
Article
Full-text available
The Georgian Mountain Cattle (GMC) (Species: Bos taurus Linnaeus, 1758 – aurochs, domesticated cattle, domestic cattle (feral), Aurochs, Subspecies: Bos taurus taurus Linnaeus, 1758) is a local breed from Georgia. It is well adapted to the harsh mountain conditions of the Caucasus, resistant to different pathogens and able to provide milk during th...
Preprint
Full-text available
The use of molecular data to study evolutionary history of different organisms, revolutionized the field of systematics. Now with the appearance of high throughput sequencing (HTS) technologies more and more genetic sequence data is available. One of the important sources of genetic data for phylogenetic analyses has been mitochondrial DNA. The lim...
Article
Full-text available
The study determined the first complete mitochondrial genome (mitogenome) of the polychaete, Marphysa tamurai. A total of 21,346 reads were generated by Illumina HiSeq2500 platform with an average depth of 175.97×. The mitogenome of M. tamurai was 15,163 bp in size and consists of 38 typical genes, including 13 protein-coding genes (PCGs), 2 rRNA g...

Citations

... Variation in the mitogenome is represented by unique sequences or haplotypes that have been shaped by mutations, drift and selection over a long period of time and passed on by maternal ancestors. According to their phylogenetic origin, unique cattle haplotypes are categorized into several highly divergent haplogroups (I, C, R, P, Q, T 1 , T 2 , T 3 , T 4 , and T 5 ), which are commonly used in domestication studies (Bradley et al., 1996;Achilli et al., 2008;Zhang et al., 2013;Verdugo et al., 2019) and diversity studies Dorji et al., 2022). ...
Article
Full-text available
Substantial advances in livestock traits have been achieved primarily through selection strategies targeting variation in the nuclear genome, with little attention giv- en to mitogenome variation. We analyzed the influence of the mitogenome on milk production traits of Holstein cattle in Croatia based on strategically generated next- generation sequencing data for 109 cows pedigree-linked to 7,115 milk production records (milk, fat, and protein yield) from 3,006 cows (first 5 lactations). Because little is known about the biology of the relationship be- tween mitogenome variation and production traits, our quantitative genetic modeling was complex. Thus, the proportion of total variance explained by mitogenome inheritance was estimated using 5 different models: (1) a cytoplasmic model with maternal lineages (CYTO), (2) a haplotypic model with mitogenome sequences (HAP- LO), (3) an amino acid model with unique amino acid sequences (AMINO), (4) an evolutionary model based on a phylogenetic analysis using Bayesian Evolutionary Analysis Sampling Trees phylogenetic analysis (EVOL), and (5) a mitogenome SNP model (SNPmt). The poly- genic autosomal and X chromosome additive genetic effects based on pedigree were modeled, together with the effects of herd-year-season interaction, permanent environment, location, and age at first calving. The es- timated proportions of phenotypic variance explained by mitogenome in 4 different models (CYTO, HAPLO, AMINO, and SNPmt) were found to be substantial given the size of mitogenome, ranging from 5% to 7% for all 3 milk traits. At the same time, a negligible proportion of the phenotypic variance was explained by mitogenome with the EVOL model. Similarly, in all models, no pro- portion of phenotypic variance was explained by the X chromosome. Although our results should be confirmed in other dairy cattle populations, including a large num- ber of sequenced mitogenomes and nuclear genomes, the potential of utilizing mitogenome information in animal breeding is promising, especially as the acquisition of complete genome sequences becomes cost-effective. Key words: Holstein cattle, milk production traits, complete mitogenome, next-generation sequencing, variance components
... Aurochs and domestic cattle carry seven distinct mitochondrial lineages [1,6]. Haplogroup T is prevalent in taurine cattle, which were domesticated approximately 10.5 thousand years before present (ka BP) in Southwest Asia, whereas indicine cattle, which were domesticated approximately 8.5 ka BP in South Asia, carry haplogroup I [12]. Nuclear genomes have revealed a pattern of geographic differentiation in aurochs in Europe and North Africa [6]. ...
... The presence of the mitochondrial genome (mitogenome) haplogroup C in northeast Asian (NEA) bovine skeletal remains dating from 10.66 to 3.50 calibrated ka BP (cal. ka BP) confirmed the species status of aurochs, suggesting that aurochs likely coexisted with newly introduced domestic cattle in northern China and Xizang during the Holocene [4,9,12,17,18]. To investigate their evolution and potential introgression between cattle and aurochs, we conducted ancient DNA (aDNA) screening of 59 bovine mandible skeletal specimens from the Songnen Plain and one additional specimen from the 151 Site (also known as the Yaowuyao Site, denoted YWY) (Supplementary Text S1, Fig. S1 and Table S1 online). These East Asian samples were dated from 43.27-3.59 ...
... In this study, 17 newly discovered dental remains and a previously characterized dental sample (Kongni) [12] were collected from the Songnen Plain. Additionally, one bone sample was col-lected from the YWY site (Fig. S3 online). ...
... Common cattle were domesticated in Southwest Asia (present-day Turkey) about 10,000 years ago. The earliest archaeological evidence for the domestication of auropodial cattle is 10,750-10,250 years old [2]. In recent years, the availability of high-quality reference genomes and moderately dense genotyping marker sets has stimulated a series of genome-wide studies on plant diversity, evolutionary history, production traits, and functional elements. ...
Article
Full-text available
Bos taurus is known for its tolerance of coarse grains, adaptability, high temperature, humidity, and disease resistance. Primarily, cattle are raised for their meat and milk, and pinpointing genes associated with traits relevant to meat production can enhance their overall productivity. The aim of this study was to identify the genome, analyze the evolution, and explore the function of the Pax gene family in B. taurus to provide a new molecular target for breeding in meat-quality-trait cattle. In this study, 44 Pax genes were identified from the genome database of five species using bioinformatics technology, indicating that the genetic relationships of bovids were similar. The Pax3 and Pax7 protein sequences of the five animals were highly consistent. In general, the Pax gene of the buffalo corresponds to the domestic cattle. In summary, there are differences in affinity between the Pax family genes of buffalo and domestic cattle in the Pax1/9, Pax2/5/8, Pax3/7, and Pax4/6 subfamilies. We believe that Pax1/9 has an effect on the growth traits of buffalo and domestic cattle. The Pax3/7 gene is conserved in the evolution of buffalo and domestic animals and may be a key gene regulating the growth of B. taurus. The Pax2/5/8 subfamily affects coat color, reproductive performance, and milk production performance in cattle. The Pax4/6 subfamily had an effect on the milk fat percentage of B. taurus. The results provide a theoretical basis for understanding the evolutionary, structural, and functional characteristics of the Pax family members of B. taurus and for molecular genetics and the breeding of meat-production B. taurus species.
... Paleontological evidence indicates that indigenous aurochs were widespread in North China during the late Pleistocene, before the arrival of domestic cattle from Inner Asia in the late Holocene [8]. An initial molecular study on an approximately 10,660-year-old Northeast China sample revealed that the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) of the aurochs sequence was associated with haplogroup C [9]. Subsequent aDNA studies of mtDNA revealed the common presence of haplogroup C in Northeast and Central China from bovine samples dating to the late Neolithic ( Fig. 1a and b), corresponding to the timing of introduction of taurine cattle into this broad region [10][11][12]. ...
... This work revealed the route of the introduction of taurine cattle onto the Tibetan Plateau through the northeastern region toward the southernmost Tibetan Plateau. Ancient aurochs were widely distributed in northern and central China at ~10,660-3400 a BP according to previous studies [9][10][11][12], which implied that there were opportunities for aurochs recruitment in early herd management. Direct evidence is, however, lacking. ...
... Asia, was for rst time genetically identi ed from a Bos mandible in Northeast China, dating to circa 8,660 BCE(Zhang H. et al., 2013). According to zooarchaeological and morphological evidences, it is inferred that the mandible does not belong to an animal that was managed by humans(Lu, 2014).Cai D. et al. (2018b) genetically identi ed more East Asian native haplogroup C aurochs of the Neolithic from Northeast China. ...
Preprint
Full-text available
Utilizing the multiple evidence of genetics, archaeology, iconography, graphemics and philology, this paper discovers two foreign elements Niu and Yang from the Fertile Crescent, in the Shang oracle inscriptions. This discovery provides a clue to investigate the relations of several pictograph type writing systems of the Bronze Age old world. The connection of the Shang graph pair Niu and Yang with the Halaf culture motif pair bucrania and mouflons is disclosed by the shared contents of their meaning: taurine cattle and sheep/goats from the Fertile Crescent. The second prototype of the Halaf motif pair, the back view of the whole body is distinguished from the head view by comparing the motifs with animal images and according to their placement in the evolution. Owing to the same forms, the same degree of abstraction, and the same diagnostic feature, a pair of huge and curved horns, the Shang graph pair falls in the clusters of those abstract variants of the Halaf motif pair, which coincide with that the Shang graph pair stay outside the category of all the other four-legged animals’ Shang oracle graphs, not only because of the different view types, but also the more abstract forms implying their more ancient times.
... With the development of ancient DNA technologies, molecular archaeology has provided new perspectives to explore subsistence modes and supplement new genomic data. Currently, there is only one genomic study on Chinese aurochs in Harbin, Northeast China (10,660 years before present: yBP), which discovered a unique mitochondrial C haplogroup, native to East Asia (Zhang et al., 2013). In this study, the complete mitochondrial genomes of bovid individuals from the Neolithic and Bronze ages at the Honghe site were analyzed to shed new light on the continuance and transformation of the lifestyle of Neolithic and Bronze Age populations in the Honghe site, as well as the Nenjiang River Basin. ...
... HH07C (Neolithic) was identified morphologically as aurochs, but should have been domesticated cattle carrying T3, which originated from the Near East and is a typical haplogroup of modern European taurine cattle (Achilli et al., 2009;Bollongino et al., 2006). HH10C (Bronze Age) was identified morphologically as domesticated cattle, but should have been aurochs with C, which is a a unique haplogroup of Northeast Asian aurochs (Zhang et al., 2013). ...
... In addition to being a food resource, aurochs might also be captured for sacrificial rites. The aurochs remains from the Kongni ditch (Harbin) and Honghe site were found in archaeological pits or ditches, possibly related to religious behavior (Cai et al., 2018b;Zhang et al., 2013). In addition, aurochs at the Zhoujiazhuang site were found in pits of the residential area, and traces of manual processing proved that they were used for divination of oracle bones (Brunson et al., 2016). ...
... Notably, an early separating maternal clade (i.e., haplogroup D) is newly detected in our phylogenetic analyses (Figs. 2 and 3). Although this ancient woolly rhinoceros clade is solely represented by only one sample in this study, several deeply divergent mitochondrial or nuclear clades have been identified from other Late Pleistocene large herbivores and carnivores in Northern China, e.g., aurochs (Bos primigenius) [23], steppe bison (Bison priscus) [24], cave hyenas (Crocuta crocuta ultima) [25,26], and tiger (Panthera tigris) [27]. These distinct ancient clades from different species experienced a long evolutionary history in the same area, which suggests that Northern China might have represented a refugium for some Quaternary mammals. ...
Article
Full-text available
Background Woolly rhinoceros ( Coelodonta antiquitatis ) is a typical indicator of cold-stage climate that was widely distributed in Northern Hemisphere during the Middle-Late Pleistocene. Although a plethora of fossils have been excavated from Northern China, their phylogenetic status, intraspecific diversity and phylogeographical structure are still vague. Results In the present study, we generated four mitogenomes from Late Pleistocene woolly rhinoceros in Northern China and compared them with published data. Bayesian and network analyses indicate that the analyzed individuals contain at least four maternal haplogroups, and Chinese samples fall in three of them. One of our samples belongs to a previously unidentified early diverging clade (haplogroup D), which separated from other woolly rhinoceros around 0.57 Ma (95% CI: 0.76–0.41 Ma). The timing of this clade’s origin coincides with the first occurrence of woolly rhinoceros, which are thought to have evolved in Europe. Our other three samples cluster in haplogroup C, previously only identified from one specimen from Wrangel Island (ND030) and initially considered to be an isolated clade. Herein, our findings suggest that ND030 is likely descended from a northward dispersal of the individuals carrying haplogroup C from Northern China. Additionally, Chinese woolly rhinoceros specimens exhibit higher nucleotide diversity than those from Siberia. Conclusion Our findings highlight Northern China as a possible refugium and a key evolution center of the Pleistocene woolly rhinoceros.
... These finds indicate that there would have been opportunities for admixture between wild and domestic herds as soon as taurine cattle were first introduced to East Asia. However, only one East Asian aurochs mitogenome has been previously published (27) and there have not yet been any genome-wide ancient DNA studies of East Asian aurochs. Many questions remain, including how are East Asian aurochs populations related to East Asian domestic cattle? ...
... The ancient Mongolian cattle form a single clade, suggesting that all sampled individuals represent a continuous population ( Figure 2B). Neolithic Mongolian aurochs are part of the East Asian mitochondrial haplogroup C that has been previously identified exclusively in East Asian aurochs dating from between 10,000 to 4000 years ago (20,27,32) (Figure 2A). Interestingly, the Mongolian aurochs group together separately from African, European, and the Middle Eastern aurochs, but are still part of the clade that includes all sequenced aurochs and taurine cattle. ...
Preprint
Full-text available
Unlabelled: Societies in East Asia have utilized domesticated cattle for over 5000 years, but the genetic history of cattle in East Asia remains understudied. Genome-wide analyses of 23 ancient Mongolian cattle reveal that East Asian aurochs and ancient East Asian taurine cattle are closely related, but neither are closely related to any modern East Asian breeds. We observe binary variation in aurochs diet throughout the early Neolithic, and genomic evidence shows millennia of sustained male-dominated introgression. We identify a unique connection between ancient Mongolian aurochs and the European Hereford breed. These results point to the likelihood of human management of aurochs in Northeast Asia prior to and during the initial adoption of taurine cattle pastoralism. One-sentence summary: Ancient interbreeding of East Asian aurochs and cattle suggests management, but leaves no signature in modern eastern breeds.
... In China, there is evidence for the in situ domestication of millet and rice in the early to mid-Holocene. There appears to be active management of taurine cattle in the early Holocene before the introduction of domestic cattle in the later Holocene (Zhang et al., 2013). Yak were domesticated in the mid-Holocene on the Tibetan Plateau, perhaps as result of hybridization with domestic Taurine cattle (Jacques et al., 2021). ...
... It is likely that the adaptation of European Neolithic cattle to a cold and wet Europe involved local aurochs introgression. Mitochondrial data and archaeological evidence revealed that East Asian aurochs, which belonged to the C haplogroup, were distributed in northern China during the Holocene and overlapped with early domestic cattle for millennia, possibly also contributing to the formation of modern East Asian cattle, a possibility that future research will hopefully clarify (Brunson et al. 2016;Cai et al. 2018;Zhang et al. 2013). Together, these findings suggest that additional aurochs populations have contributed to local cattle, which calls for future research into aurochs genomics. ...