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Molecular phylogeny and diversity of Myanmar and Bhutan mithun based on mtDNA sequences
Author(s) -
TANAKA Kazuaki,
TAKIZAWA Tatsuya,
MURAKOSHI Hayato,
DORJI Tashi,
NYUNT Maung Maung,
MAEDA Yoshizane,
YAMAMOTO Yoshio,
NAMIKAWA Takao
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
animal science journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.606
H-Index - 38
eISSN - 1740-0929
pISSN - 1344-3941
DOI - 10.1111/j.1740-0929.2010.00819.x
Subject(s) - haplotype , domestication , biology , introgression , phylogenetic tree , cytochrome b , mitochondrial dna , south asia , genetic diversity , genetics , veterinary medicine , gene , genotype , population , demography , medicine , history , ethnology , sociology
ABSTRACT The mithun ( Bos frontalis ), synonymous with mithan and gayal, is considered to be a domesticated form of gaur ( B. gaurus ). However, there has been a controversy concerning its origin. In an effort to address this issue, the mitochondrial cytochrome b ( cytb ) genes of 20 mithun from Myanmar and 13 from Bhutan were sequenced to trace its maternal origin. Seven cytb haplotypes were found in the 33 mithun, and the phylogenetic tree for these haplotypes clearly showed three embranchments involving five gaur types, a B. indicus type, and a B. taurus type. Sixteen Myanmar and 12 Bhutan mithun had gaur haplotypes, while a B. indicus haplotype was found in three Myanmar and one Bhutan mithun. The B. taurus haplotype was detected in a single Myanmar animal. These results demonstrated that the principal maternal origin of mithun was gaur and suggested that it was directly domesticated from gaur. However, some introgression of domestic cattle existed in current mithun populations. The presence of cattle mtDNA raised the question of how many cattle nuclear genes might have been integrated into the gene pool of mithun.