The genetic diversity of the Nguni breed of African Cattle (Bos spp.): complete mitochondrial genomes of haplogroup T1.

ABSTRACT: Domesticated cattle were commonplace in northern Africa by about 7,000 years ago. Archaeological evidence, however, suggests they were not established in southern Africa until much later, no earlier than 2,000 years ago. Genetic reconstructions have started to shed light on the movement of African cattle, but efforts have been frustrated by a lack of data south of Ethiopia and the nature of the mitochondrial haplogroup T1 which is almost fixed across the continent. We sequenced 35 complete mitochondrial genomes from a South African herd of Nguni cattle, a breed historically associated with Bantu speaking farmers who were among the first to bring cattle to southern Africa. As expected, all individuals in the study were found to be members of haplogroup T1. Only half of the sub-haplogroups o

SUBMITTER: Horsburgh KA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3747060 | biostudies-literature | 2013

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature