Ancient DNA reveals evidence of abundant aurochs (Bos primigenius) in Neolithic Northeast China
Autor: | Naifan Zhang, Quanjia Chen, Lixin Wang, Dongya Y. Yang, Dawei Cai, Xiaolin Ma, Thomas C.A. Royle, Xin Zhao, Hui Zhou, Siqi Zhu |
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Rok vydání: | 2018 |
Předmět: |
0106 biological sciences
0301 basic medicine Archeology Population ved/biology.organism_classification_rank.species Zoology 010603 evolutionary biology 01 natural sciences Haplogroup law.invention 03 medical and health sciences law East Asia Radiocarbon dating education Domestication education.field_of_study biology ved/biology Taurine cattle Aurochs biology.organism_classification humanities 030104 developmental biology Geography Ancient DNA |
Zdroj: | Journal of Archaeological Science. 98:72-80 |
ISSN: | 0305-4403 |
Popis: | Ancient DNA analysis of 24 archaeological bovid remains recovered from large Neolithic (6300 BP to 5000 calBP) pit and ditch features at Houtaomuga, Northeast China, identified 23 of these samples as aurochs (Bos primigenius). These DNA-based identifications contrast with the morphological analysis of the remains, which identified them as Bison exiguous. The abundance of auroch remains at this site contradicts the general assumption that this species was not present in large numbers in Neolithic China. It also suggests archaeologists need to revise the notion that wild aurochs played an insignificant role in the lifeways of Neolithic peoples in China. Furthermore, phylogenetic analyses of a 294 bp fragment of the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) D-loop indicate the identified aurochs belong to a unique haplogroup (Haplogroup C) that is indigenous to East Asia and made no direct contribution to modern domesticated cattle Bos taurus. Moreover, temporal changes in haplotype frequencies were observed among the identified aurochs, suggesting population fluctuations potentially caused by human hunting activities occurred among Chinese aurochs during the Neolithic. This study also identified one sample (HT31) radiocarbon dated to ca. 5500–5300 calBP as Bos taurus, making it one of the earliest known taurine cattle specimens in China. HT31's location in Northeast China and early date points to the existence of another entrance for domesticated cattle into China, the Northeast China Route via the Mongolian Steppe. |
Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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