Mitochondrial DNA analysis of ancient sheep from Altai

Abstract

A comparative analysis of the genetic diversity of ancient and modern sheep can shed light on the origin of these animals and their distribution as well as help to evaluate the role of humans at each formation stage of different sheep breeds. Here we isolated ancient DNA and performed sequencing of the mitochondrial DNA D-loop from 17 sheep bone remains (~4000-1000 years old) found in the archaeological complexes in the south of Altai (Western Siberia). The length of the sequences obtained ranged between 318 and 586 bp. The haplotype diversity and nucleotide diversity were 0.801 ± 0.081 and 0.0096 ± 0.0014 respectively. The average number of nucleotide differences was ~3.1. Nucleotide sequence analysis revealed that 15 specimens were nested within previously described A,B,C,D and E lineages and that two specimens had a basal position relative to the rest of the analyzed samples. A relatively high diversity of sheep haplotypes, including the presence of two basal haplotypes, indicates that the Altai region may have been a transport route of human migration. Further ancient DNA analysis of other specimens and deeper genome sequencing of samples with novel haplotypes is needed to better understand the demographic history of sheep in Southern Siberia.

A Combined Multi-Cohort Approach Reveals Novel and Known Genome-Wide Selection Signatures for Wool Traits in Merino and Merino-Derived Sheep Breeds

“…(Zeder, 2008). In the last two decades, information from molecular data, as well as discovery and study of novel archaeological sites, has shed new light on the origins and subsequent diffusion of domestic sheep worldwide (Chessa et al, 2009; Meadows et al, 2011; Kijas et al, 2012; Demirci et al, 2013; Singh et al, 2013; Dymova et al, 2017; Ethier et al, 2017; Ivanova et al, 2018a; Ivanova et al, 2018b). Early domesticated sheep are known to have been transported over long distances or even by sea, as early as around 12,000 years BP (Zeder, 2008).…”

Shedding Light on the Dark Ages: Sketching Potential Trade Relationships in Early Medieval Romania through Mitochondrial DNA Analysis of Sheep Remains

“…Yet, given the limitations of using a small sample size and only a partial mtDNA marker, this can only be treated as a hypothesis and would need to be further confirmed through genome-wide assessments performed on larger sample sizes. Next, despite the fact that the Altai sheep populations are rather diverse, possibly due to strong cultural interactions in the region [27], the high degree of genetic distance between the Capidava and Altai populations serves as a prospective indicator of a lack of interaction along the Asian route at that time. Again, however, a potential Asian interaction may not have been revealed in this context due to the low number of ancient Ovis samples.…”

“…Using a comparative dataset of ancient [8,27,28,30], modern [3,8,[47][48][49][50], and reference sequences [4,49] previously deposited in international databases (Table S2), the following analyses were performed:…”

“…Mitochondrial DNA, a useful tool for tracing maternal origins and revealing the migration patterns of humans and the domestic animals they brought with them [16], has proved to be a suitable genetic marker for understanding the genetic history of sheep. Studies focused on ancient sheep mtDNA hypervariable region (HVR), particularly from the Copper Age [23] and Bronze Age [24][25][26][27][28][29] have assisted in unfolding the origin of domestic lineages in China, Russia, Turkey, the Alps, and Estonia, while those that discuss sequences dated to the Iron Age, Medieval, and Post Medieval Times have illustrated different selection and trade practices. For example, modern selective breeding practices did not change the haplogroup distribution of Italian sheep already established in the Middle Ages [30], while extensive research in the Northern European region has shown genetic continuity in Estonia for the past three millennia [28], no sign of population replacement in Finland since the Iron Age [8], as well as signs of expanding trade in the Middle Ages and strong artificial selection in the Modern Era [22,28,29].…”

Reality of Mitogenome Investigation in Preservation of Native Domestic Sheep Breeds

“…Ancient samples showed the presence of haplogroup E (3%) in the Bronze Age and the presence of haplogroup C (6%) in the Hellenistic age, while haplogroups A and B were continuously present (with nearly 50-50 percent). Dymova et al [51] carried out archeological mitochondrial DNA D-loop fragment analysis based on about 4,000-1,000 years old sheep bone remains in Altai. They found all the previously determined haplogroups (A, B, C, D and E lineages).…”