Limited number of patrilines in horse domestication.
Genetic studies using mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) have identified extensive matrilinear diversity among domestic horses. Here, we show that this high degree of polymorphism is not matched by a corresponding patrilinear diversity of the male-specific Y chromosome. In fact, a screening for single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in 14.3 kb of noncoding Y chromosome sequence among 52 male horses of 15 different breeds did not identify a single segregation site. These observations are consistent with a strong sex-bias in the domestication process, with few stallions contributing genetically to the domestic horse.
Lindgren
Gabriella
G
Department of Evolutionary Biology, Evolutionary Biology Centre, Uppsala University, Norbyvägen 18D, SE-752 36 Uppsala, Sweden.
Backström
Niclas
N
Swinburne
June
J
Hellborg
Linda
L
Einarsson
Annika
A
Sandberg
Kaj
K
Cothran
Gus
G
Vilà
Carles
C
Binns
Matthew
M
Ellegren
Hans
H
D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D005819:Genetic Markers; D006736:Horses / Q000235:genetics*; D014998:Y Chromosome
D005819:Genetic Markers