European domestic horses originated in two holocene refugia.
Abstract: The role of European wild horses in horse domestication is poorly understood. While the fossil record for wild horses in Europe prior to horse domestication is scarce, there have been suggestions that wild populations from various European regions might have contributed to the gene pool of domestic horses. To distinguish between regions where domestic populations are mainly descended from local wild stock and those where horses were largely imported, we investigated patterns of genetic diversity in 24 European horse breeds typed at 12 microsatellite loci. The distribution of high levels of genetic diversity in Europe coincides with the distribution of predominantly open landscapes prior to domestication, as suggested by simulation-based vegetation reconstructions, with breeds from Iberia and the Caspian Sea region having significantly higher genetic diversity than breeds from central Europe and the UK, which were largely forested at the time the first domestic horses appear there. Our results suggest that not only the Eastern steppes, but also the Iberian Peninsula provided refugia for wild horses in the Holocene, and that the genetic contribution of these wild populations to local domestic stock may have been considerable. In contrast, the consistently low levels of diversity in central Europe and the UK suggest that domestic horses in these regions largely derive from horses that were imported from the Eastern refugium, the Iberian refugium, or both.
Publication Date: 2011-03-30 PubMed ID: 21479181PubMed Central: PMC3068172DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0018194Google Scholar: Lookup
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- Journal Article
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Summary
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The research reveals that two major areas in Europe, the Iberian Peninsula and the Caspian Sea region, may have bred wild horses that significantly contributed to the gene pool of domestic horses. Based on genetic evidence, horses in central Europe and the UK are more likely to have descended from imported horses.
Investigating Role of European Wild Horses in Horse Domestication
The study aims to understand the role that European wild horses may have played in horse domestication. The fossil record for these wild horses is sparse, yet it is believed that they could have contributed greatly to the genes of the domesticated horse.
- The researchers employed genetic analysis using 12 microsatellite loci, a type of DNA sequence, across 24 European horse breeds.
- The intention of the study was to distinguish between regions where domestic horses descended from local wild stock and regions where horses were predominantly imported.
Findings: High Genetic Diversity Correlates with Open Landscapes
The analysis showed that high genetic diversity of horses in certain regions coincided with the widespread open landscapes that existed prior to domestication.
- Higher levels of diversity were found in breeds from Iberia (modern Spain and Portugal) and the Caspian Sea region.
- In contrast, central Europe and the UK, which were largely forested during the onset of horse domestication, showed lower genetic diversity in their horse populations.
Interpretation: Two Main Refugia for Wild Horses
This study suggests two main refugia or locations which served as safe havens for wild horse populations during the Holocene period (the current geological epoch).
- These are the Eastern steppes (including the Caspian Sea region) and the Iberian Peninsula, which both showed significantly higher genetic diversity.
- The higher genetic diversity implies that these areas may have been significant contributors to the gene pool of domesticated horses.
- In contrast, regions like central Europe and the UK may have largely derived their horse populations from these refugia, as indicated by lower genetic diversity. This suggests that the horses in these regions were most likely imported.
Cite This Article
APA
Warmuth V, Eriksson A, Bower MA, Cañon J, Cothran G, Distl O, Glowatzki-Mullis ML, Hunt H, Luís C, do Mar Oom M, Yupanqui IT, Ząbek T, Manica A.
(2011).
European domestic horses originated in two holocene refugia.
PLoS One, 6(3), e18194.
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0018194 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom. vmw23@cam.ac.uk
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Biological Evolution
- Breeding
- Ecosystem
- Europe
- Gene Pool
- Genetic Variation
- Geography
- Horses / physiology
- Microsatellite Repeats / genetics
- Middle East
- Time Factors
Grant Funding
- BB/H005854/1 / Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council
- BB/E527604/1 / Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council
Conflict of Interest Statement
The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.
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This article includes 52 references
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