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Locations of cattle domestication centres compared with aurochs distribution. Map indicating the proposed centres and ages of taurine and indicine cattle domestication, relative to the Chinese specimen investigated in this study. The distribution of aurochs (Bos primigenius) is displayed in red (after ref. 12), showing the presence of aurochs in the region where the proposed cattle management took place.
Source publication
The domestication of cattle is generally accepted to have taken place in two independent centres: around 10,500 years ago in the Near East, giving rise to modern taurine cattle, and two millennia later in southern Asia, giving rise to zebu cattle. Here we provide firmly dated morphological and genetic evidence for early Holocene management of tauri...
Contexts in source publication
Context 1
... dating of the specimen. In 2005, a well-preserved complete bovid mandible was discovered from the Kongni ditch (45° 53" N, 125° 55" E), 48 km NWW of Harbin in northeastern China (Fig. 1). From the discovery context, the age of the cattle specimen was estimated to be Late Pleistocene. Two subsamples of bone from the cattle mandible were sent to two different laboratories for radiocarbon dating: the Leibniz Laboratory for Radiometric Dating and Stable Isotope Research in Kiel (Germany) and the Joint Laboratory of ...
Context 2
... characteristics. The specimen consists of con- joining left and right mandibles, with full tooth rows from the second premolar to the third molar (that is, P2-M3; Supplementary Fig. S1) on both mandibles. Both the specimen's overall morphology and detailed morphology of the molar teeth allow confident attribution to Bos, rather than Bison or other large selenodont mammals. ...
Context 3
... attrition and thus a relatively advanced age 14 . The mandible exhibits exceptional attrition affecting the mesial half of M1 and the distal one-third of the adjacent P4. In this region, the mandibular occlusal plane (that is, the 'chewing surface' of the teeth) is sharply concave, deviating by 7-8 mm from the gentle curve of the occlusal plane (Fig. 2, Supplementary Fig. S1). This localized hyperattrition is bilateral, and developed to a closely similar extent on both mandibles. On the buccal aspect of the left mandible, there is an area of reactive periostitis that extends along the alveolar margin from the distal edge of P3 to the distal edge of M1, indicating long-term repetitive stress on this ...
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Citations
... Asia, was for rst time genetically identi ed from a Bos mandible in Northeast China, dating to circa 8,660 BCE(Zhang H. et al., 2013). According to zooarchaeological and morphological evidences, it is inferred that the mandible does not belong to an animal that was managed by humans(Lu, 2014).Cai D. et al. (2018b) genetically identi ed more East Asian native haplogroup C aurochs of the Neolithic from Northeast China. ...
Utilizing the multiple evidence of genetics, archaeology, iconography, graphemics and philology, this paper discovers two foreign elements Niu and Yang from the Fertile Crescent, in the Shang oracle inscriptions. This discovery provides a clue to investigate the relations of several pictograph type writing systems of the Bronze Age old world. The connection of the Shang graph pair Niu and Yang with the Halaf culture motif pair bucrania and mouflons is disclosed by the shared contents of their meaning: taurine cattle and sheep/goats from the Fertile Crescent. The second prototype of the Halaf motif pair, the back view of the whole body is distinguished from the head view by comparing the motifs with animal images and according to their placement in the evolution. Owing to the same forms, the same degree of abstraction, and the same diagnostic feature, a pair of huge and curved horns, the Shang graph pair falls in the clusters of those abstract variants of the Halaf motif pair, which coincide with that the Shang graph pair stay outside the category of all the other four-legged animals’ Shang oracle graphs, not only because of the different view types, but also the more abstract forms implying their more ancient times.
... With the development of ancient DNA technologies, molecular archaeology has provided new perspectives to explore subsistence modes and supplement new genomic data. Currently, there is only one genomic study on Chinese aurochs in Harbin, Northeast China (10,660 years before present: yBP), which discovered a unique mitochondrial C haplogroup, native to East Asia (Zhang et al., 2013). In this study, the complete mitochondrial genomes of bovid individuals from the Neolithic and Bronze ages at the Honghe site were analyzed to shed new light on the continuance and transformation of the lifestyle of Neolithic and Bronze Age populations in the Honghe site, as well as the Nenjiang River Basin. ...
... HH07C (Neolithic) was identified morphologically as aurochs, but should have been domesticated cattle carrying T3, which originated from the Near East and is a typical haplogroup of modern European taurine cattle (Achilli et al., 2009;Bollongino et al., 2006). HH10C (Bronze Age) was identified morphologically as domesticated cattle, but should have been aurochs with C, which is a a unique haplogroup of Northeast Asian aurochs (Zhang et al., 2013). ...
... In addition to being a food resource, aurochs might also be captured for sacrificial rites. The aurochs remains from the Kongni ditch (Harbin) and Honghe site were found in archaeological pits or ditches, possibly related to religious behavior (Cai et al., 2018b;Zhang et al., 2013). In addition, aurochs at the Zhoujiazhuang site were found in pits of the residential area, and traces of manual processing proved that they were used for divination of oracle bones (Brunson et al., 2016). ...
... Notably, an early separating maternal clade (i.e., haplogroup D) is newly detected in our phylogenetic analyses (Figs. 2 and 3). Although this ancient woolly rhinoceros clade is solely represented by only one sample in this study, several deeply divergent mitochondrial or nuclear clades have been identified from other Late Pleistocene large herbivores and carnivores in Northern China, e.g., aurochs (Bos primigenius) [23], steppe bison (Bison priscus) [24], cave hyenas (Crocuta crocuta ultima) [25,26], and tiger (Panthera tigris) [27]. These distinct ancient clades from different species experienced a long evolutionary history in the same area, which suggests that Northern China might have represented a refugium for some Quaternary mammals. ...
Background
Woolly rhinoceros ( Coelodonta antiquitatis ) is a typical indicator of cold-stage climate that was widely distributed in Northern Hemisphere during the Middle-Late Pleistocene. Although a plethora of fossils have been excavated from Northern China, their phylogenetic status, intraspecific diversity and phylogeographical structure are still vague.
Results
In the present study, we generated four mitogenomes from Late Pleistocene woolly rhinoceros in Northern China and compared them with published data. Bayesian and network analyses indicate that the analyzed individuals contain at least four maternal haplogroups, and Chinese samples fall in three of them. One of our samples belongs to a previously unidentified early diverging clade (haplogroup D), which separated from other woolly rhinoceros around 0.57 Ma (95% CI: 0.76–0.41 Ma). The timing of this clade’s origin coincides with the first occurrence of woolly rhinoceros, which are thought to have evolved in Europe. Our other three samples cluster in haplogroup C, previously only identified from one specimen from Wrangel Island (ND030) and initially considered to be an isolated clade. Herein, our findings suggest that ND030 is likely descended from a northward dispersal of the individuals carrying haplogroup C from Northern China. Additionally, Chinese woolly rhinoceros specimens exhibit higher nucleotide diversity than those from Siberia.
Conclusion
Our findings highlight Northern China as a possible refugium and a key evolution center of the Pleistocene woolly rhinoceros.
... These finds indicate that there would have been opportunities for admixture between wild and domestic herds as soon as taurine cattle were first introduced to East Asia. However, only one East Asian aurochs mitogenome has been previously published (27) and there have not yet been any genome-wide ancient DNA studies of East Asian aurochs. Many questions remain, including how are East Asian aurochs populations related to East Asian domestic cattle? ...
... The ancient Mongolian cattle form a single clade, suggesting that all sampled individuals represent a continuous population ( Figure 2B). Neolithic Mongolian aurochs are part of the East Asian mitochondrial haplogroup C that has been previously identified exclusively in East Asian aurochs dating from between 10,000 to 4000 years ago (20,27,32) (Figure 2A). Interestingly, the Mongolian aurochs group together separately from African, European, and the Middle Eastern aurochs, but are still part of the clade that includes all sequenced aurochs and taurine cattle. ...
Unlabelled:
Societies in East Asia have utilized domesticated cattle for over 5000 years, but the genetic history of cattle in East Asia remains understudied. Genome-wide analyses of 23 ancient Mongolian cattle reveal that East Asian aurochs and ancient East Asian taurine cattle are closely related, but neither are closely related to any modern East Asian breeds. We observe binary variation in aurochs diet throughout the early Neolithic, and genomic evidence shows millennia of sustained male-dominated introgression. We identify a unique connection between ancient Mongolian aurochs and the European Hereford breed. These results point to the likelihood of human management of aurochs in Northeast Asia prior to and during the initial adoption of taurine cattle pastoralism.
One-sentence summary:
Ancient interbreeding of East Asian aurochs and cattle suggests management, but leaves no signature in modern eastern breeds.
... In China, there is evidence for the in situ domestication of millet and rice in the early to mid-Holocene. There appears to be active management of taurine cattle in the early Holocene before the introduction of domestic cattle in the later Holocene (Zhang et al., 2013). Yak were domesticated in the mid-Holocene on the Tibetan Plateau, perhaps as result of hybridization with domestic Taurine cattle (Jacques et al., 2021). ...
... It is likely that the adaptation of European Neolithic cattle to a cold and wet Europe involved local aurochs introgression. Mitochondrial data and archaeological evidence revealed that East Asian aurochs, which belonged to the C haplogroup, were distributed in northern China during the Holocene and overlapped with early domestic cattle for millennia, possibly also contributing to the formation of modern East Asian cattle, a possibility that future research will hopefully clarify (Brunson et al. 2016;Cai et al. 2018;Zhang et al. 2013). Together, these findings suggest that additional aurochs populations have contributed to local cattle, which calls for future research into aurochs genomics. ...
... It is likely that the adaptation of European Neolithic cattle to a cold and wet Europe involved local aurochs introgression. Mitochondrial data and archaeological evidence revealed that East Asian aurochs, which belonged to the C haplogroup, were distributed in northern China during the Holocene and overlapped with early domestic cattle for millennia, possibly also contributing to the formation of modern East Asian cattle, a possibility that future research will hopefully clarify (Brunson et al. 2016;Cai et al. 2018;Zhang et al. 2013). Together, these findings suggest that additional aurochs populations have contributed to local cattle, which calls for future research into aurochs genomics. ...
Domestic cattle have spread across the globe and inhabit variable and unpredictable environments. They have been exposed to a plethora of selective pressures and have adapted to a variety of local ecological and management conditions , including UV exposure, diseases, and stall-feeding systems. These selective pressures have resulted in unique and important phenotypic and genetic differences among modern cattle breeds/populations. Ongoing efforts to sequence the genomes of local and commercial cattle breeds/populations, along with the growing availability of ancient bovid DNA data, have significantly advanced our understanding of the genomic architecture, recent evolution of complex traits, common diseases, and local adaptation in cattle. Here, we review the origin and spread of domestic cattle and illustrate the environmental adaptations of local cattle breeds/populations.
... These variations have been selected to correlate with human needs, such as meat, eggs, and milk as major sources of high-quality protein. The genetic mechanisms underlying variation due to domestication have been investigated using molecular techniques in a large variety of domesticated animals, including dogs [4], goats [5], cattle [6], chickens [7], and ducks [8]. ...
Background
Geese are among the most important poultry species in the world. The current generally accepted hypothesis is that the European domestic geese originated from greylag geese ( Anser anser ), and Chinese domestic geese have two origins, most of which originated from swan geese ( Anser cygnoides ), and the Yili goose originated from greylag geese. To explain the origin and demographic history of geese, we selected 14 goose breeds from Europe and China and wild populations of swan and greylag geese, and whole genome sequencing data were obtained for 74 samples.
Results
Population structure analysis and phylogenetic trees showed that the wild ancestor of Chinese domestic geese, except for Yili, is the swan geese, and the wild ancestor of Chinese Yili and European domestic geese is greylag geese. Analysis of the demographic history suggests that the domestication of Chinese geese occurred ~ 3499 years ago and that of the European geese occurred ~ 7552 years ago. Furthermore, gene flow was observed between domestic geese and their wild ancestors. Analysis of introgression showed that Yili geese had been introgressed by Chinese domestic geese, and the body size of Yili geese may be influenced by introgression events of some growth-related genes, including IGF-1 .
Conclusions
Our study provides evidence for the origin of geese at the genome-wide level and advances the understanding of the history of goose domestication and the traits affected by introgression events.
... Haplogroup R is detected in modern Italian cattle [53]. Haplogroups C and E have been detected in ancient aurochs of China and Germany respectively [79,80]. In the present study, all the haplotypes belonged to I haplogroup except three haplotypes which belonged to T/Q haplogroup. ...
Andaman cattle is a precious indigenous livestock species endemic to Andaman and Nicobar Islands, India. Till date, origin and genetic makeup of the breed which is warranted for breed conservation is not known. Moreover, the spread of zebu cattle from Indus valley to different parts of Island Southeast Asia (ISEA) is not properly understood. Here, we report the genetic diversity, population structure of Andaman cattle and their evolution in the context of epicentre of zebu domestication and ISEA. High genetic diversity in complete mitochondrial D-loop sequences indicated the ability of the breed to withstand impending climate change. Total 81 haplotypes were detected and all of them except three belonged to Bos indicus. The presence of taurine haplotypes in Andaman cattle indicate introgression by European-derived cattle. A poor phylogenetic signal of Andaman cattle with genetic affinities with cattle of Indian subcontinent and ISEA was observed. The poor phylogenetic structure may be due to multidirectional gene flow from Indian subcontinent and ISEA, with which Andaman shares a close cultural and trade relationship from Neolithic age. We hypothesize that Andaman cattle is the outcome of Neolithic diffusion from centre of zebu domestication along with multidirectional commercial exchange between Indian subcontinent and ISEA.
... The confirmation of the basal mitochondrial lineage C in this study (Figures 2-4) is strikingly similar to the aurochs from northeastern China, which were assigned as an unidentified haplogroup, with a basal position in the auroch's tree [59]. In addition, it is also true for extinct cave hyenas excavated from the same region, which form a deeply diverging mitochondrial haplogroup of Crocuta [33]. ...
Steppe bison are a typical representative of the Mid-Late Pleistocene steppes of the northern hemisphere. Despite the abundance of fossil remains, many questions related to their genetic diversity, population structure and dispersal route are still elusive. Here, we present both near-complete and partial mitochondrial genomes, as well as a partial nuclear genome from fossil bison samples excavated from Late Pleistocene strata in northeastern China. Maximum-likelihood and Bayesian trees both suggest the bison clade are divided into three maternal haplogroups (A, B and C), and Chinese individuals fall in two of them. Bayesian analysis shows that the split between haplogroup C and the ancestor of haplogroups A and B dates at 326 ky BP (95% HPD: 397-264 ky BP). In addition, our nuclear phylogenomic tree also supports a basal position for the individual carrying haplogroup C. Admixture analyses suggest that CADG467 (haplogroup C) has a similar genetic structure to steppe bison from Siberia (haplogroup B). Our new findings indicate that the genetic diversity of Pleistocene bison was probably even higher than previously thought and that northeastern Chinese populations of several mammalian species, including Pleistocene bison, were genetically distinct.
