Early Animal Husbandry in the Northern Levant

Peters, Joris; Helmer, Daniel; Driesch, Angela von den; Seguí, María Sañá

doi:10.3406/paleo.1999.4685

Cited by 137 publications

(106 citation statements)

References 5 publications

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“…The domestication process in goats probably occurred in two different areas, starting independently in both the Southern Zagros/Central Iranian Plateau, and in Eastern Anatolia. Archaeozoological data showing morphological changes associated with the domestication process support the latter center (1)(2)(3)5). They also indicate early and independent bezoar domestication without morphological modification in Ganj Dareh, which is located in the Central Zagros (4,6).…”

Section: Domestic Goats From Iran Bezoars Close-to-domestics (Abdfg Hmentioning

confidence: 89%

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The goat domestication process inferred from large-scale mitochondrial DNA analysis of wild and domestic individuals

Naderi

Rezaei

Pompanon

et al. 2008

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

285

220

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The emergence of farming during the Neolithic transition, including the domestication of livestock, was a critical point in the evolution of human kind. The goat (Capra hircus) was one of the first domesticated ungulates. In this study, we compared the genetic diversity of domestic goats to that of the modern representatives of their wild ancestor, the bezoar, by analyzing 473 samples collected over the whole distribution range of the latter species. This partly confirms and significantly clarifies the goat domestication scenario already proposed by archaeological evidence. All of the mitochondrial DNA haplogroups found in current domestic goats have also been found in the bezoar. The geographic distribution of these haplogroups in the wild ancestor allowed the localization of the main domestication centers. We found no haplotype that could have been domesticated in the eastern half of the Iranian Plateau, nor further to the east. A signature of population expansion in bezoars of the C haplogroup suggests an early domestication center on the Central Iranian Plateau (Yazd and Kerman Provinces) and in the Southern Zagros (Fars Province), possibly corresponding to the management of wild flocks. However, the contribution of this center to the current domestic goat population is rather low (1.4%). We also found a second domestication center covering a large area in Eastern Anatolia, and possibly in Northern and Central Zagros. This last domestication center is the likely origin of almost all domestic goats today. This finding is consistent with archaeological data identifying Eastern Anatolia as an important domestication center.livestock origins ͉ Neolithic expansion ͉ phylogeography ͉ Middle East

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Section: Domestic Goats From Iran Bezoars Close-to-domestics (Abdfg Hmentioning

confidence: 89%

“…B.P. in the Zagros mountains (4)(5)(6)(7). The hypothesis of goat domestication originating in the Southern Levant (8) seems to be now excluded, and the earliest aceramic Neolithic goats in the Lower Indus valley appear to have been imported from a nearby western area (9).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

The goat domestication process inferred from large-scale mitochondrial DNA analysis of wild and domestic individuals

Naderi

Rezaei

Pompanon

et al. 2008

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

285

220

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“…In the context of the Neolithic, the oldest evidence for domestication is for goat and sheep (11 000 BP) followed by pig and cattle (10 500 BP) [73,74,76,77]. These domesticates soon spread from the Neolithic core region to a large part of the Near East, including Cyprus [77,78] and central Anatolia.…”

Section: Lactase Persistence the Neolithic Transition And The Histormentioning

confidence: 99%

Evolution of lactase persistence: an example of human niche construction

Gerbault

Liebert

Itan

et al. 2011

Phil. Trans. R. Soc. B

371

272

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Niche construction is the process by which organisms construct important components of their local environment in ways that introduce novel selection pressures. Lactase persistence is one of the clearest examples of niche construction in humans. Lactase is the enzyme responsible for the digestion of the milk sugar lactose and its production decreases after the weaning phase in most mammals, including most humans. Some humans, however, continue to produce lactase throughout adulthood, a trait known as lactase persistence. In European populations, a single mutation (213910*T ) explains the distribution of the phenotype, whereas several mutations are associated with it in Africa and the Middle East. Current estimates for the age of lactase persistence-associated alleles bracket those for the origins of animal domestication and the culturally transmitted practice of dairying. We report new data on the distribution of 213910*T and summarize genetic studies on the diversity of lactase persistence worldwide. We review relevant archaeological data and describe three simulation studies that have shed light on the evolution of this trait in Europe. These studies illustrate how genetic and archaeological information can be integrated to bring new insights to the origins and spread of lactase persistence. Finally, we discuss possible improvements to these models.

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“…in Asia and the Near East. To some extent current archaeozoological data support this contention and indicate that during the first half of the 9th millennium BC wild goats may have undergone independent domestication in south-west Iran (Zeder & Hesse, 2000), southeast Turkey (Peters et al, 1999) and/or the northern Levant (Wasse, 2001) with domestic goats (Capra hircus) dispersing out from these nuclear locations. Furthermore, Horwitz (Horwitz et al, 1999) has raised the possibility that in the southern Levant (the region comprising southern Syria, Lebanon, Israel, Jordan and the Sinai Peninsula) domestic goats may have been domesticated locally during the mid-8th millennium BC.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 68%

The application of ancient DNA analysis to identify neolithic caprinae: a case study from the site of Hatoula, Israel

Bar‐Gal¹,

Ducos

Horwitz

2003

Intl J of Osteoarchaeology

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The evidence for wild sheep (Ovis orientalis) in archaeological sites from the southern Levant is examined through the application of ancient DNA analysis to specimens from the Pre-Pottery Neolithic A (8300-7500 uncal. BC) site of Hatoula, Israel. The results indicate that at least one of the bones from this site, previously identified as sheep, is in fact goat. To date this is the earliest faunal sample to have yielded DNA in the region. This study highlights the problems in applying morphological criteria to distinguish between caprine species, and illustrates how ancient DNA analysis can serve as a powerful tool in resolving questions of species attribution.

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Early Animal Husbandry in the Northern Levant

Cited by 137 publications

References 5 publications

The goat domestication process inferred from large-scale mitochondrial DNA analysis of wild and domestic individuals

The goat domestication process inferred from large-scale mitochondrial DNA analysis of wild and domestic individuals

Evolution of lactase persistence: an example of human niche construction

The application of ancient DNA analysis to identify neolithic caprinae: a case study from the site of Hatoula, Israel

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