The Eurasian Steppe is an important goat propagation route: A phylogeographic analysis using mitochondrial DNA and Y‐chromosome sequences of Kazakhstani goats

Abstract

Goats (Capra hircus) were domesticated in the Fertile Crescent and propagated all over the world. The Silk Road through the Eurasian Steppe belt is a possible propagation route for domestic goats to Central Asia. Kazakhstan is in close geographical proximity to domestication centers and covers the majority of the Eurasian Steppe belt. In this study, we examined the genetic diversity and phylogeographic structure of Kazakhstani goats. The mtDNA sequences of 141 Kazakhstani goats were categorized into haplogroups A, C, and D, of which haplogroup A was predominant (97%), whereas haplogroups C and D were detected at low frequencies (1.4% each). The Kazakhstani haplotypes C were thzen categorized into Asian mtDNA type. Sequence analysis of the SRY gene on the Y‐chromosome in 67 male Kazakhstani goats revealed two haplotypes: Y1A (64%) and Y2A (36%). Analysis of the distribution of mtDNA haplogroups and SRY haplotypes from Eurasia and Africa demonstrated genetic similarity among animals from Kazakhstan, Mongolia, and Northwest China located on the Eurasian Steppe belt. These phylogeographic results suggested that the Eurasian Steppe belt was an important propagation route for goats to Central Asia.

Maternal Origins and Haplotype Diversity of Seven Russian Goat Populations Based on the D-loop Sequence Variability

“…The haplogroup G group was first identified by Naderi et al [9] in goats of Middle Eastern and Northern African origin, while haplogroup D was found in the Asian and Northern European animals. According to Colli et al [7], only the Iranian bezoars belonged to haplogroups D and G. In neighboring Kazakhstan, haplogroup A was the most frequent in local goat populations [17]. Haplogroups C and D were also found there, with frequencies similar to those calculated in our work (1.0% and 1.4%, respectively).…”

“…In addition, low frequencies of haplogroups C and D were reported in Mongolian local goats [38]. Based on the data analysis and their own results, Tabata et al [17] supposed that domestic goats spread into Central Asia through the Silk Road via the so-called Eurasian Steppe belt. The presence of haplogroup D (Hap-57) in the Altai Mountain breed, originated in the border area of Kazakhstan, and clustering with goats from countries, related to the Silk Road (Kyrgyzstan India), can be considered as supporting data for the Tabata et al hypothesis [17].…”

“…Furthermore, it is unknown how and when indigenous goats inhabited their domestic regions. In addition, establishment of the phylogenetic relationships of the goat populations indirectly indicates the migration routes of the Eurasian ethnic groups [17], which characterizes important social and cultural aspects of the study. Thus, analysis of mtDNA sequences will allow us to address the maternal origins, genetic diversity, and phylogenetic links of Russian local goat populations.…”

High mitochondrial diversity of domesticated goats persisted among Bronze and Iron Age pastoralists in the Inner Asian Mountain Corridor

“…numbers in the southeastern region of the country compared to other regions that were dominated by A lineages [98]. Taken together, the diversity in mtDNA lineages from these studies and that in our sample reinforce the IAMC as an important locus connecting ancient Central Asian herders to those in east Asia via western China.…”

Phylogeography of widespread species in Eurasia: Current progress and future prospects

“…, 从 种群扩张时间上看, 很多种群扩张时间发生在LGM之 前 [37,48,49] . [52] , 该分布模式可能源于物种本身具有很 强的扩散能力或者受到人类的贸易、运输、驯养活动 的影响 [35,53,54] .…”