Phylogenetic Position of a Copper Age Sheep (Ovis aries) Mitochondrial DNA

Sheep (Ovis aries) were domesticated in the Fertile Crescent region about 9,000-8,000 years ago. Currently, few mitochondrial (mt) DNA studies are available on archaeological sheep. In particular, no data on archaeological European sheep are available. Here we describe the first portion of mtDNA seq...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:PloS one Vol. 7; no. 3; p. e33792
Main Authors: Olivieri, Cristina, Ermini, Luca, Rizzi, Ermanno, Corti, Giorgio, Luciani, Stefania, Marota, Isolina, De Bellis, Gianluca, Rollo, Franco
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: United States Public Library of Science 23.03.2012
Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Subjects:
Age
Amplification
Animal populations
Animals
Archaeology
Base pairs
Biology
Biosynthesis
Copper
Cytochrome
Cytochrome b
Cytochromes b - genetics
Deoxyribonucleic acid
DNA
DNA, Mitochondrial - genetics
Domestic animals
Domestication
Excavation
Gene sequencing
Genes
Genetic diversity
Genomes
Hair
Mitochondrial DNA
Nucleotide sequence
Ovis aries
Phylogenetics
Phylogeny
Population genetics
RNA
RNA, Ribosomal - genetics
rRNA 12S
Sheep
Sheep - classification
Sheep - genetics
Social and Behavioral Sciences
Veterinary Science
Asia
Italy
Europe
ISSN:1932-6203, 1932-6203
Online Access:Get full text
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Summary:Sheep (Ovis aries) were domesticated in the Fertile Crescent region about 9,000-8,000 years ago. Currently, few mitochondrial (mt) DNA studies are available on archaeological sheep. In particular, no data on archaeological European sheep are available. Here we describe the first portion of mtDNA sequence of a Copper Age European sheep. DNA was extracted from hair shafts which were part of the clothes of the so-called Tyrolean Iceman or Ötzi (5,350-5,100 years before present). Mitochondrial DNA (a total of 2,429 base pairs, encompassing a portion of the control region, tRNA(Phe), a portion of the 12S rRNA gene, and the whole cytochrome B gene) was sequenced using a mixed sequencing procedure based on PCR amplification and 454 sequencing of pooled amplification products. We have compared the sequence with the corresponding sequence of 334 extant lineages. A phylogenetic network based on a new cladistic notation for the mitochondrial diversity of domestic sheep shows that the Ötzi's sheep falls within haplogroup B, thus demonstrating that sheep belonging to this haplogroup were already present in the Alps more than 5,000 years ago. On the other hand, the lineage of the Ötzi's sheep is defined by two transitions (16147, and 16440) which, assembled together, define a motif that has not yet been identified in modern sheep populations.
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Conceived and designed the experiments: FR GDB. Performed the experiments: CO ER IM. Analyzed the data: CO LE GC SL IM FR. Wrote the paper: CO LE FR.
ISSN:1932-6203
1932-6203
DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0033792