Donkeys transformed human history as essential beasts of burden for long-distance movement, especially across semi-arid and upland environments. They remain insufficiently studied despite globally expanding and providing key support to low- to middle-income communities. To elucidate their domestication history, we constructed a comprehensive genome panel of 207 modern and 31 ancient donkeys, as well as 15 wild equids. We found a strong phylogeographic structure in modern donkeys that supports a single domestication in Africa ∼5000 BCE, followed by further expansions in this continent and Eurasia and ultimately returning to Africa. We uncover a previously unknown genetic lineage in the Levant ∼200 BCE, which contributed increasing ancestry toward Asia. Donkey management involved inbreeding and the production of giant bloodlines at a time when mules were essential to the Roman economy and military.
The genomic history and global expansion of domestic donkeys / E.T. Todd, L. Tonasso-Calviere, L. Chauvey, S. Schiavinato, A. Fages, A. Seguin-Orlando, P. Clavel, N. Khan, L.P. Pardal, L.P. Rosa, P. Librado, H. Ringbauer, M. Verdugo, J. Southon, J.-. Aury, A. Perdereau, E. Vila, M. Marzullo, O. Prato, U. Tecchiati, G.B. Gianni, A. Tagliacozzo, V. Tine, F. Alhaique, J.L. Cardoso, M.J. Valente, M.T. Antunes, L. Frantz, B. Shapiro, D.G. Bradley, N. Boulbes, A. Gardeisen, L.K. Horwitz, A. Oztan, B.S. Arbuckle, V. Onar, B. Clavel, S. Lepetz, A.A. Vahdati, H. Davoudi, A. Mohaseb, M. Mashkour, O. Bouchez, C. Donnadieu, P. Wincker, S.A. Brooks, A. Beja-Pereira, D.-. Wu, L. Orlando. - In: SCIENCE. - ISSN 0036-8075. - 377:6611(2022), pp. 1172-1180. [10.1126/science.abo3503]
The genomic history and global expansion of domestic donkeys
M. MarzulloMembro del Collaboration Group
;U. TecchiatiMembro del Collaboration Group
;
2022
Abstract
Donkeys transformed human history as essential beasts of burden for long-distance movement, especially across semi-arid and upland environments. They remain insufficiently studied despite globally expanding and providing key support to low- to middle-income communities. To elucidate their domestication history, we constructed a comprehensive genome panel of 207 modern and 31 ancient donkeys, as well as 15 wild equids. We found a strong phylogeographic structure in modern donkeys that supports a single domestication in Africa ∼5000 BCE, followed by further expansions in this continent and Eurasia and ultimately returning to Africa. We uncover a previously unknown genetic lineage in the Levant ∼200 BCE, which contributed increasing ancestry toward Asia. Donkey management involved inbreeding and the production of giant bloodlines at a time when mules were essential to the Roman economy and military.File | Dimensione | Formato | |
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