As largely demonstrated for a wide range of vertebrates, the melanin-based coloration can be the effect of both mutations in the melanocortin-1 receptor (MC1R) gene and of differential expression of the same gene. However, in lizards, this mechanism is poorly known and some populations exhibit a high variation of melanism. Some populations of Podarcis siculus show a gradual melanization, suggesting a case of a quantitative phenomenon rather than a qualitative one. Here, we objectively quantify the continuous colour variation by spectrophotometric analysis demonstrating that the changes in the skin reflectance are not associated to mutations in the coding region of the MC1R gene but seem to be related to a concomitant variation of expression for this gen
Domestic pigs were a key component of the Neolithic Revolution because of their great relevance to farming. Zoo-archaeological evidences suggest that Sus scrofa was domesticated in the Fertile Crescent about 10,500 years BP. From that moment, early Neolithic farmers spread domestic pigs westward into Europe. Yet, once domesticated, European pigs rapidly replaced pigs of Near Eastern origin throughout Europe. A temporal distribution change between European mitochondrial DNA haplotypes (A-side and C-side) also occurred: the A-side haplotype increased in domestic remains from the Neolithic to the Roman Age in Europe, at the expense of C-side individuals. This same pattern is absent in non-domestic settings. We jointly analyzed (modern) wild boar morphology and mitochondrial DNA, seeking out morphological differences between A- and C- side types. Our results show that A-side wild boars are significantly larger than C-sides, irrespective of sex, age, and reproductive stage. This suggests that the increased frequency of A-side individuals in domestic samples through time might be the direct result of active selection by early breeders for their fast growth rate. © 2015, © The Author(s) 2015
Southern Italy has a long history of human occupation and passage of different cultures since the Early Holocene. Repeated, ancient introductions of pigs in several geographic areas in Europe make it difficult to understand pig translocation and domestication in Italy. The archeozoological record may provide fundamental information on this, hence shedding light on peopling and on trading among different ancient cultures in the Mediterranean. Yet, because of the scanty nature of the fossil record, ancient remains from human-associated animals are somewhat rare. Fortunately, ancient DNA analysis as applied to domestic species proved to be a powerful tool in revealing human migrations. Herein, we analyzed 80-bp fragment of mitochondrial DNA control region from 27 Sus scrofa ancient samples retrieved from Southern Italian and Sardinian archeological sites, spanning in age from the Mesolithic to the Roman period. Our results surprisingly indicate the presence of the Near Eastern haplotype Y1 on both Italy's major islands (Sardinia and Sicily) during the Bronze Age, suggesting the seaborne transportation of domestic pigs by humans at least during 1600-1300 BC. The presence of the Italian E2 clade in domestic contexts shows that the indigenous wild boar was effectively domesticated or incorporated into domestic stocks in Southern Italy during the Bronze Age, although the E2 haplotype has never been found in modern domestic breeds. Pigs belonging to the endemic E2 clade were thus traded between the Peninsula and Sardinia by the end of the second millennium BC and this genetic signature is still detected in Sardinian feral pigs.
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