Insights from paleogenomics of domestic camels in Xian city, China
The ancient Overland Silk Road facilitated not only the exchange of goods but also the dispersal of domesticated animals across continents. However, the genetic history of camels, the vital transportation of this trade network, remains poorly understood due to a scarcity of paleogenomic data. Here, we retrieved complete mitogenomes and low-coverage nuclear genomes from three Camelus remainsexcavated in Xian, a major eastern hub of ancient Overland Silk Road. Phylogenetic analyses assigned two individuals to domestic Bactrian camels, and one to an Arabian camel, which representing the first genetically identified Arabian camel bone remain in China. Our findings revealed a lack of phylogeographic structure in maternal lineages, consistent with extensive human-mediated dispersal.