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Home / Equine Research Bank / Nat Commun / Discovery of lost diversity of paternal horse lineages using...
Nature communications2011; 2; 450; doi: 10.1038/ncomms1447

Discovery of lost diversity of paternal horse lineages using ancient DNA.

Abstract: Modern domestic horses display abundant genetic diversity within female-inherited mitochondrial DNA, but practically no sequence diversity on the male-inherited Y chromosome. Several hypotheses have been proposed to explain this discrepancy, but can only be tested through knowledge of the diversity in both the ancestral (pre-domestication) maternal and paternal lineages. As wild horses are practically extinct, ancient DNA studies offer the only means to assess this ancestral diversity. Here we show considerable ancestral diversity in ancient male horses by sequencing 4 kb of Y chromosomal DNA from eight ancient wild horses and one 2,800-year-old domesticated horse. Both ancient and modern domestic horses form a separate branch from the ancient wild horses, with the Przewalski horse at its base. Our methodology establishes the feasibility of re-sequencing long ancient nuclear DNA fragments and demonstrates the power of ancient Y chromosome DNA sequence data to provide insights into the evolutionary history of populations.
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Publication Date: 2011-08-23 PubMed ID: 21863017DOI: 10.1038/ncomms1447Google Scholar: Lookup
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Summary

This research summary has been generated with artificial intelligence and may contain errors and omissions. Refer to the original study to confirm details provided. Submit correction.

This research explores the historical diversity of paternal horse lineages, which has been lost in modern horses, by analyzing ancient DNA. Contrary to the lack of diversity in today’s male horse DNA, the study finds significant diversity in paternal lineages from ancient wild and domesticated horses.

Research Overview

  • The research revolves around the discrepancy between the abundant genetic diversity seen in female-inherited mitochondrial DNA of modern domestic horses and the virtually non-existent sequence diversity in the male-inherited Y chromosome. Several theories exist to explain this difference, but these require knowledge about the diversity present in both maternal and paternal lineages prior to horse domestication.
  • Because wild horses are nearly extinct, ancient DNA studies are the only method available to assess this ancestral diversity. This study uses technology that allows for the sequencing of long ancient nuclear DNA fragments to examine the Y chromosomal DNA of ancient horses.

Methodology and Findings

  • Researchers sequenced 4 kb (kilobases) of Y chromosomal DNA from eight ancient wild horses and one 2,800-year-old domesticated horse to investigate the ancestral diversity in ancient male horses. The vast diversity found in these samples contrasts with the minimal diversity seen in modern male horse Y chromosomes.
  • The results indicated that both ancient and modern domestic horses form a unique branch separate from that of ancient wild horses. The Przewalski horse, considered the last truly wild horse species in the world, formed the base of this branch. This suggests that the lack of diversity in modern horse Y chromosomes could be attributed to the domestication process, rather than being a trait of all horses.

Implications of the Study

  • The methodology used in this study demonstrates the feasibility of re-sequencing long ancient nuclear DNA fragments. This is significant because it opens the possibility of researching other extinct or near extinct species with similar methods.
  • Furthermore, the study shows the potential of ancient Y chromosome DNA sequence data in providing important insights into the evolutionary history of species.

Cite This Article

APA
Lippold S, Knapp M, Kuznetsova T, Leonard JA, Benecke N, Ludwig A, Rasmussen M, Cooper A, Weinstock J, Willerslev E, Shapiro B, Hofreiter M. (2011). Discovery of lost diversity of paternal horse lineages using ancient DNA. Nat Commun, 2, 450. https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms1447

Publication

Nature communications
ISSN: 2041-1723
NlmUniqueID: 101528555
Country: England
Language: English
Volume: 2
Pages: 450

Researcher Affiliations

Lippold, Sebastian
  • Research Group Molecular Ecology, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, D-04103 Leipzig, Germany. sebastian_lippold@eva.mpg.de
Knapp, Michael
    Kuznetsova, Tatyana
      Leonard, Jennifer A
        Benecke, Norbert
          Ludwig, Arne
            Rasmussen, Morten
              Cooper, Alan
                Weinstock, Jaco
                  Willerslev, Eske
                    Shapiro, Beth
                      Hofreiter, Michael

                        MeSH Terms

                        • Animals
                        • DNA, Mitochondrial / genetics
                        • Evolution, Molecular
                        • Female
                        • Genetic Variation
                        • Horses / classification
                        • Horses / genetics
                        • Male
                        • Molecular Sequence Data
                        • Phylogeny
                        • Y Chromosome / genetics

                        Grant Funding

                        • Wellcome Trust

                        References

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