Evolution and domestication of the Bovini species

Abstract

Summary Domestication of the Bovini species (taurine cattle, zebu, yak, river buffalo and swamp buffalo) since the early Holocene (ca. 10 000 BCE) has contributed significantly to the development of human civilization. In this study, we review recent literature on the origin and phylogeny, domestication and dispersal of the three major Bos species – taurine cattle, zebu and yak – and their genetic interactions. The global dispersion of taurine and zebu cattle was accompanied by population bottlenecks, which resulted in a marked phylogeographic differentiation of the mitochondrial and Y‐chromosomal DNA. The high diversity of European breeds has been shaped through isolation‐by‐distance, different production objectives, breed formation and the expansion of popular breeds. The overlapping and broad ranges of taurine and zebu cattle led to hybridization with each other and with other bovine species. For instance, Chinese gayal carries zebu mitochondrial DNA; several Indonesian zebu descend from zebu bull × banteng cow crossings; Tibetan cattle and yak have exchanged gene variants; and about 5% of the American bison contain taurine mtDNA. Analysis at the genomic level indicates that introgression may have played a role in environmental adaptation.

Metabolomics reveals potential plateau adaptability by regulating inflammatory response and oxidative stress-related metabolism and energy metabolism pathways in yak

“…Yaks are an iconic symbol of QTP and can be used as a model to elucidate the mechanisms of hypoxia adaptation. The three specises of yak, yellow cattle and Holstein dairy cow belong to subtribe Bovina [21].…”

An evolutionary conserved olfactory receptor for foodborne and semiochemical alkylpyrazines

“…82 A domestication-led co-evolution [83][84][85] may be the reason for the overall similar clustering and EC 50ranking response patterns for pyrazines and semiochemicals of OR5K1-orthologs, at least in human, cow, sheep, and dog. [86][87][88][89] For sheep and goats, for example, evidence for a transspecific genomic signature and phenotype of domestication has been described previously. 88 Thus, domestication may be causative for a similar OR5K1 phenotype.…”

Genome-wide local ancestry and direct evidence for mitonuclear coadaptation in African hybrid cattle populations (Bos taurus/indicus)

“…After humans, from a population genetics perspective, the most well-studied large mammals are domestic cattle, which are derived from two morphologically distinct wild subspecies, Bos primigenius taurus and Bos primigenius indicus, informally shortened to B. taurus and B. indicus and colloquially referred to as "taurine" and "zebu" (or "indicine") cattle, respectively (Zhang et al 2020). Comprehensive genetic and archaeological evidence has shown that taurine and zebu cattle were most likely domesticated separately: humpless taurine cattle from the B. p. primigenius subspecies in the Fertile Crescent region of the Middle East approximately 10 thousand years ago (kya), and humped zebu from the B. p. namadicus subspecies two millennia later by the early Neolithic cultures located in present-day Baluchistan, Pakistan (Bradley et al 1998;Fuller 2006;Zeder 2011;Utsunomiya et al 2019).…”