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The legacy of Columbus in American horse populations assessed by microsatellite markers.
Abstract: Criollo horse populations descend from horses brought from the Iberian Peninsula over the period of colonization (15th to 17th century). They are spread throughout the Americas and have potentially undergone genetic hybridization with other breeds in the recent past. In this study, 25 autosomal microsatellites were genotyped in 50 horse breeds representing Criollo populations from 12 American countries (27 breeds), breeds from the Iberian Peninsula (19), one breed each from France and Morocco and two cosmopolitan horse breeds (Thoroughbred and Arabian). The genetic relationships among breeds identified five clusters: Celtic; Iberian; North American with Thoroughbred influence; most Colombian breeds; and nearly all other Criollo breeds. The group of "all other Criollo breeds" had the closest genetic relationship with breeds originating from the Iberian Peninsula, specifically with the Celtic group. For the whole set of Criollo breeds analysed, the estimated genetic contribution from other breeds was approximately 50%, 30% and 20% for the Celtic, Iberian and Arab-Thoroughbred groups, respectively. The spatial distribution of genetic diversity indicates that hotspots of genetic diversity are observed in populations from Colombia, Ecuador, Brazil, Paraguay and western United States, possibly indicating points of arrival and dispersion of Criollo horses in the American continent. These results indicate that Criollo breeds share a common ancestry, but that each breed has its own identity.
© 2017 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.
Publication Date: 2017-02-14 PubMed ID: 28194814DOI: 10.1111/jbg.12255Google 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
Summary
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The research investigates the genetic links and ancestry of the Criollo horse populations across the Americas, tracing their origins back to horses brought from the Iberian Peninsula during colonization in the 15th to 17th century. Breeds from 12 American countries, the Iberian Peninsula, France, Morocco, and also Thoroughbred and Arabian cosmopolitan horses were studied using genotyping of 25 autosomal microsatellites.
Research Methodology
- For their study, the researchers performed genotyping on 25 autosomal microsatellites from 50 horse breeds. This included Criollo populations from 12 American countries (27 breeds), breeds from the Iberian Peninsula (19), one breed each from France and Morocco, and two cosmopolitan horse breeds – the Thoroughbred and Arabian.
- The 25 autosomal microsatellites are a set of specific repetitive DNA sequences that scientists use to study genetic diversity. They are highly variable and provide a detailed fingerprint of an organism’s genetic makeup.
Findings
- Based on their genetic relationships, the breeds fell into five clusters: the Celtic, Iberian, North American with Thoroughbred influence, most Colombian breeds, and almost all other Criollo breeds.
- The group labeled “all other Criollo breeds” exhibited the closest genetic relationship with breeds originating from the Iberian Peninsula, particularly the Celtic group.
- The analysis revealed that other breeds contributed approximately 50%, 30%, and 20% of the genetic makeup for the entire set of Criollo breeds, and these contributions largely came from the Celtic, Iberian, and Arab-Thoroughbred groups, respectively.
Significance and Implications
- The locations with the greatest genetic diversity, or hotspots, were found in populations from Colombia, Ecuador, Brazil, Paraguay, and the western United States. Accordingly, these regions may indicate points of arrival and dispersion of Criollo horses in the American continent.
- The results of the study suggest that despite sharing a common ancestry, each Criollo breed maintains its own unique genetic identity. This understanding could inform future breeding programs and conservation efforts for these horse populations.
Cite This Article
APA
Cortés O, Dunner S, Gama LT, Martínez AM, Delgado JV, Ginja C, Jiménez LM, Jordana J, Luis C, Oom MM, Sponenberg DP, Zaragoza P, Vega-Pla JL.
(2017).
The legacy of Columbus in American horse populations assessed by microsatellite markers.
J Anim Breed Genet, 134(4), 340-350.
https://doi.org/10.1111/jbg.12255 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Departamento de Producción Animal, Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain.
- Departamento de Producción Animal, Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain.
- CIISA, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal.
- Departamento de Genética, Universidad de Córdoba, Córdoba, Spain.
- Departamento de Genética, Universidad de Córdoba, Córdoba, Spain.
- Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos (CIBIO-InBIO), Universidade do Porto, Vairão, Portugal.
- Departamento de Producción Animal, Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria y de Zootecnia, Universidad Nacional de Colombia Sede Bogotá, Bogota, Columbia.
- Departamento de Ciencia Animal y de los Alimentos, Facultad de Veterinaria, Bellaterra, Spain.
- Centro Interuniversitário de História das Ciências e da Tecnologia (CIUHCT), Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal.
- Museu Nacional de História Natural e da Ciência (MUHNAC), Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal.
- CIES-UL, Instituto Universitário de Lisboa (ISCTE-IUL), Lisboa, Portugal.
- cE3c - Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal.
- Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, USA.
- Laboratorio de Genética Bioquímica, Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad de Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain.
- Laboratorio de Investigación Aplicada, Crıa Caballar de las Fuerzas Armadas, Cordoba, Spain.
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Breeding
- Genetic Variation
- Genetics, Population
- Genotype
- Horses / genetics
- Microsatellite Repeats
- Phylogeny
- United States
Citations
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