Genotyping and Coat Colour Detection of Ancient Horses from Buryatia.

This research paper discusses the finding that ancient horses from Tsaramburial in the Republic of Buryatia share genetic aspects with modern horses of the Maremmano breed from Italy. It also notes that the detection of gray coat color in the ancient Buryatia horses indicates a high level of domestication in the ancient horse population.

Genotypic Analysis and Phylogenetic Classification

• The study is centered on the phylogeographic analysis of mitochondrial genomes and the study of phenotypically important nuclear loci to understand the genetic differences between ancient and modern horses.
• Research involved the phylogenetic analysis of mitochondrial DNA from bone samples of six ancient horses from Tsaramburial in the Republic of Buryatia.
• The study revealed that these horses belong to a haplogroup E by Achilli’s classification. This haplogroup is also found among modern horses of the Maremmano breed from Italy, indicating some genetic continuity between the populations.

Coat Color and Domestication Level

• Investigations also targeted coat color, an apparent product of artificial selection in horses that illustrates their level of domestication.
• Gray coat color, distinct from wild type, was detected in two of the ancient Buryat horses. This detection suggests a high level of domestication in the horses from this period (I century BC to I century AD).

Haplotype Identification and Relation to Modern Breeds

• Further analysis of fragments of the mitochondrial genome hypervariable region established that the ancient Buryat horses belong to a haplotype X3 by Cieslak’s classification.
• Thishaplotype X3 is considered ancestral to the haplogroup X3 of modern horses found today in Mongolia, Tuva, and Buryatia. This ties in the present day horses to their ancient predecessors, providing insight on the evolutionary genetics of the species.