Mitochondrial DNA control-region and coding-region data highlight geographically structured diversity and post-domestication population dynamics in worldwide donkeys.

ABSTRACT: Donkeys (Equus asinus) have been used extensively in agriculture and transportations since their domestication, ca. 5000-7000 years ago, but the increased mechanization of the last century has largely spoiled their role as burden animals, particularly in developed countries. Consequently, donkey breeds and population sizes have been declining for decades, and the diversity contributed by autochthonous gene pools has been eroded. Here, we examined coding-region data extracted from 164 complete mitogenomes and 1392 donkey mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) control-region sequences to (i) assess worldwide diversity, (ii) evaluate geographical patterns of variation, and (iii) provide a new nomenclature of mtDNA haplogroups. The topology of the Maximum Parsimony tree confirmed the two previously identif

SUBMITTER: Rambaldi Migliore N 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11356394 | biostudies-literature | 2024

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature