title: Demographic history and gene flow during silkworm domestication.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Gene flow plays an important role in domestication history of domesticated species. However, little is known about the demographic history of domesticated silkworm involving gene flow with its wild relative.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In this study, four model-based evolutionary scenarios to describe the demographic history of B. mori were hypothesized. Using Approximate Bayesian Computation method and DNA sequence data from 29 nuclear loci, we found that the gene flow at bottleneck model is the most likely scenario for silkworm domestication. The starting time of silkworm domestication was estimated to be approximate 7,500 years ago; the time of domestication termination was 3,984 years ago. Using coalescent simulation analysis, we also found that bi-directional gene flow occurred during silkworm domestication.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Estimates of silkworm domestication time are nearly consistent with the archeological evidence and our previous results. Importantly, we found that the bi-directional gene flow might occur during silkworm domestication. Our findings add a dimension to highlight the important role of gene flow in domestication of crops and animals.
authors.forename: Shao-Yu
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Min-Jin
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Han
authors.forename: Li-Fang
authors.initials: LF
authors.lastname: Kang
authors.forename: Zi-Wen
authors.initials: ZW
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Yi-Hong
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Shen
authors.forename: Ze
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001499:Bayes Theorem; D005075:Biological Evolution; D012831:Bombyx / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D051456:Gene Flow; D049750:Genome, Insect; D012641:Selection, Genetic