The ancestral origin of the critically endangered Quadricorna sheep as revealed by genome-wide analysis

• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0275989
• Publication Date: 2022-10-26T17:56:26Z
• Authors: Gabriele Senczuk; Marika Di Civita; Luigina Rillo; Alessandra Maccio...; Mariaconsiglia Oc...; Giorgio Saralli; Valentina D’Onofrio; Tiziana Galli; Christian Persich...; Claudio Di Giovan...; Fabio Pilla; Donato Matassino
• Keywords: Male; 2. Zero hunger; Sheep; Genome; Genotype; Science; Q; R; Genetic Variation; Breeding; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; Medicine; Animals; Humans; Inbreeding; Research Article

Livestock European diffusion followed different human migration waves from the Fertile Crescent. In sheep, at least two have shaped current breeds’ biodiversity generating a complex genetic pattern composed by either primitive or fine-wool selected breeds. Among breeds, aside sharing common ancestral genomic components, they also show several traits such as policeraty, large horns in ram, short tail, and moulting fleece, considered ancestral. Although most of breeds characterized these are confined on very edge Northern Europe, residual populations scattered Mediterranean region. fact, although Italy number local already extinct, others listed critically endangered, among there is Quadricorna breed which four-horned sheep traits. this context we genotyped 47 individuals belonging to breed, relict endangered Central Southern Italy. doing so used Illumina OvineSNP50K array order explore its diversity compare it with other 33 traits-related, Middle-East specific aim reconstruct origin. After retaining 35,680 SNPs following data filtering, overall architecture has been explored using indices, Principal Component Analysis (PCA) admixture analysis, while relationships events inferred neighbor-joining tree based Reynolds’ distances maximum likelihood implemented treemix. Multiple convergent evidence all our population genetics analyses, indicated that differ Italian resulted be close Middle Eastern addition, indices highlighted values comparable those analyzed despite exhibit slightly suggesting levels inbreeding drift (FIS FROH). The analysis does not suggest any signal recent gene exchange highlighting rather purity populations, hand treemix seems an ancient Finally, evidences seem trace back early Neolithic spread, probably route urgent conservation actions needed keep related cultural products alive.