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The global spread of Oriental Horses in the past 1,500 years through the lens of the Y chromosome.
Abstract: Since their domestication, horses have accompanied mankind, and humans have constantly shaped horses according to their needs through stallion-centered breeding. Consequently, the male-specific portion of the Y chromosome (MSY) is extremely uniform in modern horse breeds. The majority of stallions worldwide carry MSY haplotypes (HT) attributed to an only ~1,500-y-old, so-called, "Crown" haplogroup. The predominance of the Crown in modern horse breeds is thought to represent a footprint of the vast impact of stallions of "Oriental origin" in the past millennium. Here, we report the results of a fine-scaled MSY haplotyping of large datasets of patrilines comprising 1,517 males of 189 modern horse breeds, covering a broad phenotypic and geographic spectrum. We can disentangle the multilayered influence of Oriental stallions over the last few hundred years, exposing the intense linebreeding and the wide-ranging impact of Arabian, English Thoroughbred, and Coldblood sires. Iberian and New World horse breeds contain a wide range of diversified Crown lineages. Their broad HT spectrum illustrates the spread of horses of Oriental origin via the Iberian Peninsula after the Middle Ages, which is commonly referred to as the "Spanish influence." Our survey also revealed a second major historical dissemination of horses from Western Asia, attributed to the expansion of the Ottoman Empire. Our analysis shows that MSY analysis can uncover the complex history of horse breeds and can be used to establish the paternal ancestry of modern horse breeds.
Publication Date: 2024-11-18 PubMed ID: 39556761PubMed Central: PMC11626155DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2414408121Google Scholar: Lookup The Equine Research Bank provides access to a large database of publicly available scientific literature. Inclusion in the Research Bank does not imply endorsement of study methods or findings by Mad Barn.
- Journal Article
- Historical Article
Summary
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Overview
- This research investigates the global spread and influence of Oriental horse stallions over the past 1,500 years by analyzing the male-specific portion of the Y chromosome (MSY) in a wide range of modern horse breeds.
- The study reveals how certain paternal lineages, linked to Oriental origins, have dominated horse breeding worldwide and traces key historical dissemination events through genetic evidence.
Background and Importance of the Study
- Domesticated horses have been selectively bred by humans, especially focusing on stallions, leading to relatively uniform male-specific Y chromosomes in modern breeds.
- The majority of male horses today share Y chromosome haplotypes (HTs) from a “Crown” haplogroup, about 1,500 years old, which is thought to reflect the influence of Oriental stallions.
- Understanding the Y chromosome diversity helps trace paternal lineage and historical movements of horses, providing insight into breeding patterns and cultural exchanges.
Methodology
- The study analyzed 1,517 male horses from 189 modern breeds, covering a wide variety of physical traits and geographic locations.
- Researchers performed fine-scaled haplotyping of the male-specific Y chromosome to identify and differentiate MSY haplotypes.
- They focused on patrilines (paternal lineages) to map the influence of different Oriental stallion lineages over time.
Key Findings
- The widespread predominance of the Crown haplogroup reflects significant Oriental stallion influence on the global horse population in the last 1,500 years.
- The study identified multiple layers of influence from Oriental horses, highlighting intense linebreeding and widespread impact of three major sires groups:
- Arabian stallions
- English Thoroughbred stallions
- Coldblood stallions
- Iberian and New World horse breeds display a broad spectrum of Crown haplotypes, illustrating the role of the Iberian Peninsula in spreading Oriental horse lineages after the Middle Ages, known as the “Spanish influence.”
- Another major historical spread of horses from Western Asia corresponds with the expansion of the Ottoman Empire, revealing a second significant dissemination event.
Implications and Conclusions
- MSY analysis is a powerful tool for uncovering the complex paternal ancestry and evolutionary history of modern horse breeds.
- Genetic data supports historical accounts of horse movement and crossbreeding, clarifying the origins and spread of influential stallion lineages.
- The research enhances understanding of how human cultural and political events (such as empire expansions and trade) shaped the genetics of domestic horses.
- Knowledge gained could assist in conservation, breeding strategies, and maintaining genetic diversity within horse populations.
Cite This Article
APA
Radovic L, Remer V, Rigler D, Bozlak E, Allen L, Brem G, Reissman M, Brockmann GA, Ropka-Molik K, Stefaniuk-Szmukier M, Kalinkova L, Kalashnikov VV, Zaitev AM, Raudsepp T, Castaneda C, von Butler-Wemken I, Patterson Rosa L, Brooks SA, Novoa-Bravo M, Kostaras N, Abdurasulov A, Antczak DF, Miller DC, Lopes MS, da Câmara Machado A, Lindgren G, Juras R, Cothran G, Wallner B.
(2024).
The global spread of Oriental Horses in the past 1,500 years through the lens of the Y chromosome.
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A, 121(49), e2414408121.
https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2414408121 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Department for Biological Sciences and Pathobiology, Animal Breeding and Genetics, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Vienna 1210, Austria.
- Vienna Graduate School of Population Genetics, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Vienna 1210, Austria.
- Department for Biological Sciences and Pathobiology, Animal Breeding and Genetics, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Vienna 1210, Austria.
- Department for Biological Sciences and Pathobiology, Animal Breeding and Genetics, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Vienna 1210, Austria.
- Department for Biological Sciences and Pathobiology, Animal Breeding and Genetics, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Vienna 1210, Austria.
- Vienna Graduate School of Population Genetics, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Vienna 1210, Austria.
- Department for Biological Sciences and Pathobiology, Animal Breeding and Genetics, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Vienna 1210, Austria.
- Department for Biological Sciences and Pathobiology, Animal Breeding and Genetics, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Vienna 1210, Austria.
- Albrecht Daniel Thaer-Institut, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin 10099, Germany.
- Albrecht Daniel Thaer-Institut, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin 10099, Germany.
- Department of Animal Molecular Biology, National Research Institute of Animal Production, Balice 32-083, Poland.
- Department of Animal Molecular Biology, National Research Institute of Animal Production, Balice 32-083, Poland.
- All-Russian Research Institute for Horse Breeding, Ryazan 391105, Russia.
- All-Russian Research Institute for Horse Breeding, Ryazan 391105, Russia.
- All-Russian Research Institute for Horse Breeding, Ryazan 391105, Russia.
- Department of Veterinary Integrative Biosciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843.
- Department of Veterinary Integrative Biosciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843.
- Verein der Freunde und Züchter des Berberpferdes, Schmalenberg 67718, Germany.
- Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Long Island University, Brookville, NY 11548.
- Department of Animal Science, University of Florida Genetics Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610.
- Genética Animal de Colombia, Bogotá 111071, Colombia.
- Amaltheia, Papagou 15669, Greece.
- Department of Veterinary Medicine and Biotechnology, Faculty of Natural Science, Tourism and Agricultural Technology, Osh State University, Osh 723500, Kyrgyzstan.
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Baker Institute for Animal Health, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853.
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Baker Institute for Animal Health, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853.
- Biotechnology Centre of Azores, University of Azores, Angra do Heroísmo 9700-042, Portugal.
- Biotechnology Centre of Azores, University of Azores, Angra do Heroísmo 9700-042, Portugal.
- Department of Animal Biosciences, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala 75007, Sweden.
- Department of Veterinary Integrative Biosciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843.
- Department of Veterinary Integrative Biosciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843.
- Department for Biological Sciences and Pathobiology, Animal Breeding and Genetics, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Vienna 1210, Austria.
MeSH Terms
- Horses / genetics
- Animals
- Y Chromosome / genetics
- Male
- Haplotypes / genetics
- Breeding
- Domestication
- Phylogeny
Grant Funding
- W1225 / Austrian Science Fund (FWF)
- 01-18-08-11 / National Research Institute of Animal Production, Poland
Conflict of Interest Statement
Competing interests statement:The authors declare no competing interest.
References
This article includes 69 references
Citations
This article has been cited 1 times.- Jafari H, Abebe BK, Cong L, Ahmed Z, Zhaofei W, Sun M, Muhatai G, Chuzhao L, Dang R. Review: Genomic insights into the adaptive traits and stress resistance in modern horses. Stress Biol 2026 Jan 12;6(1):5.
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