title: Independent maternal origin of Chinese swamp buffalo (Bubalus bubalis).
abstract: To obtain more knowledge on the origin and genetic diversity of the swamp buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) in China, the complete mitochondrial D-loop sequences of 119 samples representing seven native types were compared. Two mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) lineages (lineages A and B) were determined for the Chinese swamp buffalo. Examination of the diversity patterns suggest that lineage A has undergone a population expansion event. Divergence of lineages A and B was estimated at 18,000 years ago. Combined analyses of mtDNA sequences from Chinese, Indian, Brazilian/Italian and Southeast Asian/Australian buffalo samples showed independent domestication events in the swamp buffalo from China and the river buffalo from the India subcontinent. The spread of swamp and river buffalo from China and India respectively to mainland Southeast Asia suggests that Southeast Asia is a hybrid zone for buffalo. Our data support the hypothesis of the evolution of domesticated swamp and river buffalo from ancestral swamp-like animals. These ancestral animals were extensively distributed across mainland Asia and most likely are represented today by the wild Asian buffalo (Bubalus arnee).
authors.affiliation: Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology for Agriculture, College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A & F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China.
authors.forename: C Z
authors.initials: CZ
authors.lastname: Lei
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.forename: R Y
authors.initials: RY
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: X Y
authors.initials: XY
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: H C
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Z G
authors.initials: ZG
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: L B
authors.initials: LB
authors.lastname: Yao
authors.forename: Z F
authors.initials: ZF
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.forename: Z L
authors.initials: ZL
authors.lastname: Zhao
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D002020:Buffaloes / Q000235:genetics*; D002681:China; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D017931:DNA Primers; D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial / Q000235:genetics; D003710:Demography; D014644:Genetic Variation; D006239:Haplotypes / Q000235:genetics; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny; D011157:Population Dynamics; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA
chemical_list: D017931:DNA Primers; D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial