African Pastoralism: Genetic Imprints of Origins and Migrations.
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Date
2002Author
Hanotte, Olivier
Bradley, Daniel G
Ochieng, Joel W.
Verjee, Yasmin
Hill, Emmeline W.
Rege, J. Edward O
Type
ArticleLanguage
enMetadata
Show full item recordAbstract
The genetic history of African cattle pastoralism is controversial and poorly
understood. We reveal the genetic signatures of its origins, secondary movements,
and differentiation through the study of 15 microsatellite loci in 50
indigenous cattle breeds spanning the present cattle distribution in Africa. The
earliest cattle originated within the African continent, but Near East and
European genetic influences are also identified. The initial expansion of African
Bos taurus was likely from a single region of origin. It reached the southern part
of the continent by following an eastern route rather than a western one. The
B. indicus genetic influence shows a major entry point through the Horn and
the East Coast of Africa and two modes of introgression into the continent.
URI
http://erepository.uonbi.ac.ke:8080/xmlui/handle/123456789/10263http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11951043