Revealing the History of Sheep Domestication Using Retrovirus Integrations

Chessa B., Pereira F., Arnaud F., Amorim A., Goyache F., Mainland I., ...Daha Fazla

SCIENCE, cilt.324, sa.5926, ss.532-536, 2009 (SCI-Expanded) identifier identifier identifier

  • Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
  • Cilt numarası: 324 Sayı: 5926
  • Basım Tarihi: 2009
  • Doi Numarası: 10.1126/science.1170587
  • Dergi Adı: SCIENCE
  • Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Scopus
  • Sayfa Sayıları: ss.532-536
  • Çanakkale Onsekiz Mart Üniversitesi Adresli: Hayır

Özet

The domestication of livestock represented a crucial step in human history. By using endogenous retroviruses as genetic markers, we found that sheep differentiated on the basis of their "retrotype" and morphological traits dispersed across Eurasia and Africa via separate migratory episodes. Relicts of the first migrations include the Mouflon, as well as breeds previously recognized as "primitive" on the basis of their morphology, such as the Orkney, Soay, and the Nordic short-tailed sheep now confined to the periphery of northwest Europe. A later migratory episode, involving sheep with improved production traits, shaped the great majority of present-day breeds. The ability to differentiate genetically primitive sheep from more modern breeds provides valuable insights into the history of sheep domestication.