The genomic history and global expansion of domestic donkeys

Todd, Evelyn T.; Tonasso-Calviere, Laure; Chauvey, Lorelei; Schiavinato, Stephanie; Fages, Antoine; Seguin-Orlando, Andaine; Clavel, Pierre; Khan, Naveed; Pardal, Lucia Perez; Rosa, Laura Patterson; Librado, Pablo; Ringbauer, Harald; Verdugo, Marta; Southon, John; Aury, Jean-Marc; Perdereau, Aude; Vila, Emmanuelle; Marzullo, Matilde; Prato, Ornella; Tecchiati, Umberto; Gianni, Giovanna Bagnasco; Tagliacozzo, Antonio; Tine, Vincenzo; Alhaique, Francesca; Cardoso, Joao Luis; Valente, Maria Joao; Antunes, Miguel Telles; Frantz, Laurent; Shapiro, Beth; Bradley, Daniel G.; Boulbes, Nicolas; Gardeisen, Armelle; Horwitz, Liora Kolska; Öztan, Aliye; Arbuckle, Benjamin S.; Onar, Vedat; Clavel, Benoit; Lepetz, Sebastien; Vahdati, Ali Akbar; Davoudi, Hossein; Mohaseb, Azadeh; Mashkour, Marjan; Bouchez, Olivier; Donnadieu, Cecile; Wincker, Patrick; Brooks, Samantha A.; Beja-Pereira, Albano; Wu, Dong-Dong und Orlando, Ludovic (2022): The genomic history and global expansion of domestic donkeys. In: Science, Bd. 377, Nr. 6611: S. 1172-1180

Abstract

Donkeys transformed human history as essential beasts of burden for long-distance movement, especially across semi-arid and upland environments. They remain insufficiently studied despite globally expanding and providing key support to low- to middle-income communities. To elucidate their domestication history, we constructed a comprehensive genome panel of 207 modern and 31 ancient donkeys, as well as 15 wild equids. We found a strong phylogeographic structure in modern donkeys that supports a single domestication in Africa similar to 5000 BCE, followed by further expansions in this continent and Eurasia and ultimately returning to Africa. We uncover a previously unknown genetic lineage in the Levant similar to 200 BCE, which contributed increasing ancestry toward Asia. Donkey management involved inbreeding and the production of giant bloodlines at a time when mules were essential to the Roman economy and military.

• Dokumententyp: Zeitschriftenartikel
• Fakultät: Tiermedizin > Veterinärwissenschaftliches Department
• Themengebiete: 600 Technik, Medizin, angewandte Wissenschaften > 610 Medizin und Gesundheit
• ISSN: 0036-8075
• Sprache: Englisch