On the origin of cattle: How aurochs became cattle and colonized the world

Since their domestication in the Neolithic, cattle have belonged to our cultural heritage. The reconstruction of their history is an active field of research1 that contributes to our understanding of human history. Archeological data are now supplemented by analyses of modern and ancient samples of...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Evolutionary anthropology 2010-07, Vol.19 (4), p.148-157
Main Authors: Ajmone-Marsan, Paolo, Garcia, José Fernando, Lenstra, Johannes A.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Africa
Asia
Bos indicus
Bos taurus
Cattle
Cultural heritage
DNA
domestication
Europe
Genetic engineering
Genetic psychology
mtDNA
Neolithic Age
Y-chromosome
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Summary:Since their domestication in the Neolithic, cattle have belonged to our cultural heritage. The reconstruction of their history is an active field of research1 that contributes to our understanding of human history. Archeological data are now supplemented by analyses of modern and ancient samples of cattle with DNA markers of maternal, paternal, or autosomal inheritance. The most recent genetic data suggest that maternal lineages of taurine cattle originated in the Fertile Crescent with a possible contribution of South‐European wild cattle populations, while zebu cattle originate from the Indus Valley. Subsequently, cattle accompanied human migrations, which led to the dispersal of domestic cattle of taurine, indicine, or mixed origin over Asia, Africa, Europe, and the New World. This has resulted in their adaptation to different environments and considerable variation in appearance and performance. More recently, rational management of breeding led to international movements of sires, which again changed the global patterns of genetic diversity.
ISSN:1060-1538
1520-6505
DOI:10.1002/evan.20267