Genetic Variation in Coat Colour Genes MC1R and ASIP Provides Insights Into Domestication and Management of South American Camelids.

ABSTRACT: The domestication of wild vicuña and guanaco by early pre-Inca cultures is an iconic example of wildlife management and domestication in the Americas. Although domestic llamas and alpacas were clearly selected for key, yet distinct, phenotypic traits, the relative patterns and direction of selection and domestication have not been confirmed using genetic approaches. However, the detailed archaeological records from the region suggest that domestication was a process carried out under significant control and planning, which would have facilitated coordinated and thus extremely effective selective pressure to achieve and maintain desired phenotypic traits. Here we link patterns of sequence variation in two well-characterised genes coding for colour variation in vertebrates and interpret the

SUBMITTER: Marin JC 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6242857 | biostudies-literature | 2018

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature