2006/02/17 by Cristina Luı́s, Cristiane Bastos‐Silveira, E. Gus Cothran +1 · 2 citations
Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology · Veterinary · #Genetic diversity and population structure #Genetic and phenotypic traits in livestock #Veterinary Equine Medical Research
paper · pdf · doi:10.1093/jhered/esj020
openalex publication_date 2006/02/17 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28
Fossil records, archaeological proofs, and historical documents report that horses persisted continuously in the Iberian Peninsula since the Pleistocene and were taken to the American continent (New World) in the 15th century. To investigate the variation within the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) control region of Iberian and New World horse breeds, to analyze their relationships, and to test the historical origin of New World horses, a total of 153 samples, representing 30 Iberian and New World breeds, were analyzed by sequencing mtDNA control region fragments. Fifty-four haplotypes were found and assigned to seven haplogroups. Reduced levels of variation found for the Menorquina, Sorraia, and Sulphur Mustang breeds are consistent with experienced bottlenecks or limited number of founders. For all diversity indices, Iberian breeds showed higher diversity values than South American and North American breeds. Although, the results show that the Iberian and New World breeds stem from multiple origins, we present a set of genetic data revealing a high frequency of Iberian haplotypes in New World breeds, which is consistent with historical documentation.