A5058285950- Genetic diversity and population structure
- Fish Ecology and Management Studies
- Identification and Quantification in Food
- Fish Biology and Ecology Studies
- Genetic and phenotypic traits in livestock
- Genomics and Phylogenetic Studies
- Wildlife Ecology and Conservation
- Environmental DNA in Biodiversity Studies
- Genetic Mapping and Diversity in Plants and Animals
- Forensic and Genetic Research
- Archaeology and ancient environmental studies
- Aquatic Invertebrate Ecology and Behavior
- melanin and skin pigmentation
- Chromosomal and Genetic Variations
- Genetic and Clinical Aspects of Sex Determination and Chromosomal Abnormalities
- Animal Disease Management and Epidemiology
- Herpesvirus Infections and Treatments
- Meat and Animal Product Quality
- Ecology and biodiversity studies
- Animal Diversity and Health Studies
- Veterinary Equine Medical Research
- Marine and fisheries research
- Aquaculture disease management and microbiota
- Subterranean biodiversity and taxonomy
- Evolution and Paleontology Studies
Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research
2016-2025
Ruhr University Bochum
2022-2024
Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin
2005-2024
International Union for Conservation of Nature (Bangladesh)
2008-2023
Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology
2014
Leibniz Association
2000-2014
Freie Universität Berlin
2006-2011
Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries
1998-2007
Brown University
2006
Conservation International
2006
Revisiting the origins of modern horses The domestication was very important in history humankind. However, ancestry and location timing their emergence remain unclear. Gaunitz et al. generated 42 ancient-horse genomes. Their source samples included Botai archaeological site Central Asia, considered to include earliest domesticated horses. Unexpectedly, were ancestors not domestic horses, but rather Przewalski's Thus, contrast current thinking on horse domestication, may have been other,...
The transformation of wild animals into domestic ones available for human nutrition was a key prerequisite modern societies. However, no other species has had such substantial impact on the warfare, transportation, and communication capabilities societies as horse. Here, we show that analysis ancient DNA targeting nuclear genes responsible coat coloration allows us to shed light timing place horse domestication. We conclude it is unlikely domestication substantially predates occurrence color...
Horse domestication revolutionized warfare and accelerated travel, trade, the geographic expansion of languages. Here, we present largest DNA time series for a non-human organism to date, including genome-scale data from 149 ancient animals 129 genomes (≥1-fold coverage), 87 which are new. This extensive dataset allows us assess modern legacy past equestrian civilizations. We find that two extinct horse lineages existed during early domestication, one at far western (Iberia) other eastern...
Ancient genomics of horse domestication The the was a seminal event in human cultural evolution. Librado et al. obtained genome sequences from 14 horses Bronze and Iron Ages, about 2000 to 4000 years ago, soon after domestication. They identified variants determining coat color genes selected during process. could also see evidence admixture with archaic demography process, which included accumulation deleterious variants. appears have undergone different type process than animals that were...
Size-selective harvesting is assumed to alter life histories of exploited fish populations, thereby negatively affecting population productivity, recovery, and yield. However, demonstrating that fisheries-induced phenotypic changes in the wild are at least partly genetically determined has proved notoriously difficult. Moreover, population-level consequences evolution still being controversially discussed. Using an experimental approach, we found five generations size-selective altered...
Abstract Freshwater ecosystems are highly biodiverse 1 and important for livelihoods economic development 2 , but under substantial stress 3 . To date, comprehensive global assessments of extinction risk have not included any speciose groups primarily living in freshwaters. Consequently, data from predominantly terrestrial tetrapods 4,5 used to guide environmental policy 6 conservation prioritization 7 whereas recent proposals target setting freshwaters use abiotic factors 8–13 However,...
Abstract Sturgeon (order Acipenserformes) provide an ideal taxonomic context for examination of genome duplication events. Multiple levels ploidy exist among these fish. In a novel microsatellite approach, data from 962 fish 20 sturgeon species were used analysis in sturgeon. Allele numbers sample individuals assessed at six loci. Species with ∼120 chromosomes are classified as functional diploid species, ∼250 tetraploid and ∼500 octaploids. A molecular phylogeny the was determined on basis...
Domestic horses represent a genetic paradox: although they have the greatest number of maternal lineages (mtDNA) all domestic species, their paternal are extremely homogeneous on Y-chromosome. In order to address huge mtDNA variation and origin history in horses, we analyzed 1961 partial d-loop sequences from 207 ancient remains 1754 modern horses. The sample set ranged Alaska North East Siberia Iberian Peninsula Late Pleistocene times. We found panmictic horse population ranging Pyrenees....
Leopard complex spotting is a group of white patterns in horses caused by an incompletely dominant gene (LP) where homozygotes (LP/LP) are also affected with congenital stationary night blindness. Previous studies implicated Transient Receptor Potential Cation Channel, Subfamily M, Member 1 (TRPM1) as the best candidate for both CSNB and LP. RNA-Seq data pinpointed 1378 bp insertion intron TRPM1 potential cause. This insertion, long terminal repeat (LTR) endogenous retrovirus, was completely...
Sturgeons and paddlefishes (Acipenseridae) are highly endangered freshwater fishes. Their eggs (sold as caviar) one of the most valuable wildlife products in international trade. Concerns overharvesting conservation status many 27 extant species Acipenseriformes led to all being included on CITES Appendices 1998. Since then trade parts from sturgeon paddlefish has been regulated. However, despite controls trade, unsustainable harvesting continues threaten populations. Illegal fishing be a...
Hyenas (family Hyaenidae), as the sister group to cats Felidae), represent a deeply diverging branch within cat-like carnivores (Feliformia). With an estimated population size of <10,000 individuals worldwide, brown hyena (Parahyaena brunnea) represents rarest four extant species and has been listed Near Threatened by IUCN. Here, we report high-coverage genome from captive bred both mitochondrial low-coverage nuclear genomes 14 wild-caught across southern Africa. We find that harbor...
Abstract Horses revolutionized human history with fast mobility 1 . However, the timeline between their domestication and widespread integration as a means of transport remains contentious 2–4 Here we assemble collection 475 ancient horse genomes to assess period when these animals were first reshaped by agency in Eurasia. We find that reproductive control modern domestic lineage emerged around 2200 bce , through close-kin mating shortened generation times. Reproductive following severe...
Archaeologists often argue whether Paleolithic works of art, cave paintings in particular, constitute reflections the natural environment humans at time. They also debate extent to which these actually contain creative artistic expression, reflect phenotypic variation surrounding environment, or focus on rare phenotypes. The famous “The Dappled Horses Pech-Merle,” depicting spotted horses walls a Pech-Merle, France, date back ∼25,000 y, but coat pattern portrayed is remarkably similar known...
As evolutionary relationships within the order Acipenseriformes are not well understood and some classifications currently controversial, study of relationships, especially based on genetic data, has received much recent attention. In this reanalysis we present a nearly complete proposed phylogeny order, including 25 species, maximum likelihood analysis combined DNA sequence data (4406 base pairs) from five mitochondrial genes sequenced in our laboratories (cytochrome b, 12S rRNA, cytochrome...
Most natural populations of Eurasian sturgeons have declined dramatically during recent decades, reaching historic low levels today. During the same period, sturgeon has become very popular in European aquaculture. Because many hatcheries are located near rivers, their unintentional escape is often documented, especially floods. Until now, no cases successful hybridization these escaped fish with wild stocks been reported. In this study, genetic structure a highly threatened population...
High-throughput sequencing has dramatically fostered ancient DNA research in recent years. Shotgun sequencing, however, does not necessarily appear as the best-suited approach due to extensive contamination of samples with exogenous environmental microbial DNA. capture-enrichment methods represent cost-effective alternatives that increase focus on endogenous fraction, whether it is from mitochondrial or nuclear genomes, parts thereof. Here, we explored experimental parameters could impact...
Abstract Environmental DNA (eDNA) techniques refer to utilizing the organisms’ extracted from environment samples genetically identify target species without capturing actual organisms. eDNA metabarcoding via high‐throughput sequencing can simultaneously detect multiple fish a single water sample, which is powerful tool for qualitative detection and quantitative estimates of species. However, sequence counts obtained may be influenced by many factors, primer bias one foremost causes...