Domestication Process Research Articles

Human-animal interactions from an evolutionary perspective: Symbioses as extended ultrasociality

Abstract The field of human-animal interactions (HAI) is focused primarily on human-companion animal relationships, especially the impact of such relationships on human health. Here, we demonstrate how a wider, integrative approach, consisting of an evolutionary framework, provides new insights into the varieties of HAIs and their emergence and significance during human evolution. Along with other HAI researchers, we show that those HAIs which develop into interrelationships can best be treated as ecological symbioses that involve fitness interdependence among the symbionts and entail the evolution of phenotypic traits that support the adaptive features of the symbionts. We present the novel idea that the formation of mutualistic symbiotic relationships through the process of domestication depended on the prior evolution of hominin hypersociality and ultrasociality in modern humans. Hypersociality was characterized by high levels of social cooperation and social tolerance that became increasingly important for human social life and cooperative hunting. The further development of ultrasociality in modern humans consisted of the development of large-scale (i.e., beyond the hunting band) cooperative social networks of genetically unrelated individuals. This depended on the evolution of further enhancements in socio-cognitive skills, especially representational abilities (e.g., theory of mind), symbolic capacities, and formation of tribal societies with complex social institutions. These modern cognitive and socio-cultural features were made possible by significant brain reorganization during the past 60,000 years. Tribal social institutions were founded on normative moral sentiments and behavior and regulated and ultimately reduced levels of lethal violence. The extension of fitness interdependent, cooperative relationships to large networks of unrelated individuals (i.e., ultrasociality), we argue, was foundational in modern humans to the formation of mutualistic symbioses (i.e., process of domestication) with other animals. Because they are an outgrowth of ultrasociality, we suggest that the term “extended ultrasociality” appropriately describes human interrelationships with domesticated animals. We further suggest that these human-animal interrelationships are unique in that they become imbued with and immersed in our symbolic world, as is demonstrated by the earliest representational art in caves after 50,000 years when enhanced modern human representational and symbolic capacities were evolving. An evolutionary framework invites new questions and avenues for research.

Transitions Between Domains of Activity as “Domestications of the Eye” for the Learning of Mathematics with GGBot

We present a theoretical study that allows us to attempt framing in an embodied perspective the effectiveness of the drawing robot GGBot in the learning of geometry. The aim of the article is to set the intertwining of activity, semiotics, perception, and knowledge at the crossover of Radford’s theory of objectification (TO) and Borba and Villareal’s notion of humans-with-media. Such a crossover is articulated in four building blocks: (1) processes of objectification and the role of semiotic means of objectification, where we state that digital artifacts such as the GGBot change the topology of the semiotic means of objectification; (2) cognition is sensuous and learning is a process of domestication of the eye, where perception is theoretically shaped by the interaction with GGBot; (3) GGBot and humans-with-media, where we outline new thinking collectives and their modes of activity; (4) domestication of the eye triggered by transitions between domains of activity. Each building block of our theoretical discussion is empirically anchored to four episodes involving primary school students’ learning geometrical figures using the GGBot. To conclude, we focus on two basic concepts of geometrical thinking that unfold in the shift between domains.

Domesticating details: 3D geometric morphometrics for the zooarchaeological discrimination of wild, domestic and proto-domestic sheep (Ovis aries) and goat (Capra hircus) populations

The domestication and management of livestock provided a critical source of food and textiles in the ancient world. Investigations into the processes of domestication, improvement, and management of these animals underpin interpretations of the economic structures of ancient societies. Despite this significance, zooarchaeologists continue to face significant problems in determining the state of domestication of key taxa, or even their certain osteological identification. This is particularly a problem during the initial stages of the domestication process. Significant advances in the understanding of certain domestic livestock species (e.g., pigs) have occurred as the result of geometric morphometric analyses but the morphology of other domesticates have caused them to lag behind. This study provides a GMM assessment of astragali from ovicaprines (sheep and goats) to demonstrate its capacity to advance our understanding of the domestication process through its ability to differentiate between wild, proto-domestic, and domestic morphotypes of these animals.

Domestication Potential of Garcinia kola Heckel (Clusiaceae): Searching for Diversity in South Cameroon.

Seeds and bark of Garcinia kola Heckel (Clusiaceae) are popular products in West and Central Africa. Despite the tree's economic and cultural importance, little is known about its phenotypic and genotypic variation. This study characterised the morphological and genetic diversity of G. kola in South Cameroon, searching for traits and populations that might be used for domestication. Morphological assessment and amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) markers were applied to characterise diversity among geographic populations from Central and South regions, and between managed and wild trees. AFLP-SURV and analysis of molecular variance results indicated that a major part of genetic diversity is harboured within populations rather than between them. Bayesian analysis, principal component analysis and t-SNE identified three clusters where Ebolowa emerged as the transition population, combining features from both regions. Trees from the south had a higher prevalence of morphological domestication-related characteristics. Trees from the central region, on the other hand, demonstrated greater genetic diversity. No significant differences in phenotype and genotype were revealed between wild and managed populations, suggesting G. kola is still in the early stages of its domestication process.

The King's Harvest: A Political Ecology of China from the First Farmers to the First Empire

Brian Lander defines his project as “the first English-language monograph on the environmental history of early China” (11). Lander tells the story of people in early China transforming the environment through the combination of technology and social organization, culminating in a centralized bureaucratic empire. Natural ecosystems were replaced with artificial ones, which were amenable to the extraction of energy by humans in general and state rulers in particular.The book's dual focus is on agriculture and the state. The opening chapter provides a theoretical introduction to the nature of political power. According to Lander, it is embedded in the production and extraction of surplus, intensified through violent competition among the states. The rest of the book traces the interplay between agricultural expansion and political power from the origins of agricultural food production in China circa 6000 BCE to the foundation of the empire in 221 BCE. Lander shows how domestication of animals and plants, especially grain crops, generated taxable surpluses available for appropriation by the states that, in turn, encouraged people to replace the surviving natural ecosystems with agricultural ones. Interstate competition incentivized states “to increase productivity for increased military power” and consequently scaled up the environmental imprint of human societies (203). This is why the aptly named Warring States period (453–221 BCE) was a time of extraordinary technological (e.g., iron metallurgy) and organizational innovation (e.g., bureaucratic government), contributing to the expansion of agricultural ecosystems.Lander's narrative is organized both chronologically and thematically. As a result, some historical periods are addressed in more than one chapter in varying contexts. Chapter 2 primarily focuses on the formation of complex societies during the Neolithic and early Bronze Age (ca. 8000–1000 BCE). This is the most “environmental” chapter of all. The author summarizes archaeological data on vegetation and wild fauna of northern China, the domestication process, human diet, health conditions, and impact on ecosystems.The following chapters are more focused on the state. Chapter 3 deals with the rise of political organization in China from the late third to the mid-first millennium BCE and shows how the increasingly powerful states expanded “the productivity, and thus the environmental impact, of human societies” (75). Chapter 4 focuses on the state of Qin, which, between the eighth and the third century BCE, grew from a humble regional polity in northwestern China to the unifier of the known world. Chapter 5 discusses the political economy and ecological impact of the Qin Empire in the third century BCE. Chapter 6 addresses the Qin Empire's legacy for the human-environment relationships in imperial China and argues that empires contributed to expanding agricultural ecosystems by establishing peace and providing physical and institutional infrastructures.The book is an outstanding contribution to our understanding of the human impact on the environment in ancient East Asia. Its excellent readability and Lander's readiness to venture beyond early China studies to engage a broad range of topics makes it interesting to a broad audience. These topics include the ecological foundations of political power and the detrimental effects of interstate competition on the environment.Ambitious projects such as The King's Harvest often expose themselves to criticism by specialists in the relevant research fields. Students of Chinese history may wonder if one can write an “environmental history of early China” based on the evidence from a relatively small region of Guanzhong (in the present-day Shaanxi Province of China). Lander's occasional overreliance on normative texts such as legal statutes would probably unsettle some archaeologists and environmental historians. Parts of the book—for example, chapter 5—are about institutions and state economy rather than environment and subsistence. Economic historians can be excused for frowning upon Lander's superficial treatment of markets as a driver of economic and environmental change. It has been ten years since Robert Marks's China: Its Environment and History (2012) identified markets as one of the three social structures, along with centralized states and farming households, by which the Chinese transformed their environment.Yet this criticism highlights rather than belittles the book's strengths. By focusing on the best-documented and historically significant region, paying attention to the actors’ ideologies and motivations, and highlighting the states as a central force in environmental history, Lander drives home the book's key message. Humans have successfully created political structures that destroy natural ecosystems, and they may also be able to create ones that restore and preserve them.

Phenotypic evolution of agricultural crops

Abstract Food crops are a vital source of nutrition for humans and domestic animals, with an estimated 4 billion metric tons of food produced per year. Crops do not only provide yields, but their traits also play a significant role in regulating the ecosystem processes of croplands, affecting local biotas, water balance, nutrient and carbon cycling. Domestication has led to significant changes in crop traits, making it important to understand the recent evolution of crops and how they differ from wild plants. In this paper I review the evidence on how the ecological traits of herbaceous crops have evolved during and after domestication. Loss of seed dispersal mechanisms, increased plant and organ sizes, high rates of consumption by herbivores and fast decomposition of residues by decomposer microbes in the soil, all have evolved independently in domestication processes of different crops. I also point out types of traits for which we have not identified common responses to domestication, be it because domestication processes of the different crop species are disparate, or because of lack of strong evidence. Those traits include resource acquisition rates of leaves and roots, and whole‐plant growth rates. Then, I discuss research gaps in the field, including how to advance knowledge for those traits that show apparently idiosyncratic responses to domestication. Finally, I emphasize the importance of understanding the interactions of crops with other organisms and the environment to breed crops that deliver yield and other services required from croplands. To this end, I introduce an ideotype for sustainable agriculture, which might inspire the breeding of multipurpose herbaceous crops, in the same way than the ideotypes of the Green Revolution inspired the breeding of elite varieties to foster yields under conventional agriculture. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.

Deciphering evolutionary dynamics of WRKY genes in Arachis species

BackgroundCultivated peanut (Arachis hypogaea), a progeny of the cross between A. duranensis and A. ipaensis, is an important oil and protein crop from South America. To date, at least six Arachis genomes have been sequenced. WRKY transcription factors (TFs) play crucial roles in plant growth, development, and response to abiotic and biotic stresses. WRKY TFs have been identified in A. duranensis, A. ipaensis, and A. hypogaea cv. Tifrunner; however, variations in their number and evolutionary patterns across various Arachis spp. remain unclear.ResultsWRKY TFs were identified and compared across different Arachis species, including A. duranensis, A. ipaensis, A. monticola, A. hypogaea cultivars (cv.) Fuhuasheng, A. hypogaea cv. Shitouqi, and A. hypogaea cv. Tifrunner. The results showed that the WRKY TFs underwent dynamic equilibrium between diploid and tetraploid peanut species, characterized by the loss of old WRKY TFs and retention of the new ones. Notably, cultivated peanuts inherited more conserved WRKY orthologs from wild tetraploid peanuts than their wild diploid donors. Analysis of the W-box elements and protein–protein interactions revealed that different domestication processes affected WRKY evolution across cultivated peanut varieties. WRKY TFs of A. hypogaea cv. Fuhuasheng and Shitouqi exhibited a similar domestication process, while those of cv. Tifrunner of the same species underwent a different domestication process based on protein–protein interaction analysis.ConclusionsThis study provides new insights into the evolution of WRKY TFs in Arachis spp.

Improved fatty acid composition of field cress (Lepidium campestre) by CRISPR/Cas9-mediated genome editing.

The wild species field cress (Lepidium campestre) has the potential to become a novel cover and oilseed crop for the Nordic climate. Its seed oil is however currently unsuitable for most food, feed, and industrial applications, due to the high contents of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) and erucic acid (C22:1). As the biosynthesis of these undesirable fatty acids is controlled by a few well-known major dominant genes, knockout of these genes using CRISPR/Cas9 would thus be more effective in improving the seed oil quality. In order to increase the level of the desirable oleic acid (C18:1), and reduce the contents of PUFAs and C22:1, we targeted three important genes FATTY ACID ELONGASE1 (FAE1), FATTY ACID DESATURASE2 (FAD2), and REDUCED OLEATE DESATURASE1 (ROD1) using a protoplast-based CRISPR/Cas9 gene knockout system. By knocking out FAE1, we obtained a mutated line with almost no C22:1, but an increase in C18:1 to 30% compared with 13% in the wild type. Knocking out ROD1 resulted in an increase of C18:1 to 23%, and a moderate, but significant, reduction of PUFAs. Knockout of FAD2, in combination with heterozygous FAE1fae1 genotype, resulted in mutated lines with up to 66% C18:1, very low contents of PUFAs, and a significant reduction of C22:1. Our results clearly show the potential of CRISPR/Cas9 for rapid trait improvement of field cress which would speed up its domestication process. The mutated lines produced in this study can be used for further breeding to develop field cress into a viable crop.

Different sea urchin RAG-like genes were domesticated to carry out different functions.

The closely linked recombination activating genes (RAG1 and RAG2) in vertebrates encode the core of the RAG recombinase that mediates the V(D)J recombination of the immunoglobulin and T-cell receptor genes. RAG1 and RAG2 homologues (RAG1L and RAG2L) are present in multiple invertebrate phyla, including mollusks, nemerteans, cnidarians, and sea urchins. However, the function of the invertebrates' RAGL proteins is yet unknown. The sea urchins contain multiple RAGL genes that presumably originated in a common ancestral transposon. In this study, we demonstrated that two different RAG1L genes in the sea urchin Paracentrutus lividus (PlRAG1La and PlRAG1Lb) lost their mobility and, along with PlRAG2L, were fully domesticated to carry out different functions. We found that the examined echinoid RAGL homologues have distinct expression profiles in early developmental stages and in adult tissues. Moreover, the predicted structure of the proteins suggests that while PlRAG1La could maintain its endonuclease activity and create a heterotetramer with PlRAG2L, the PlRAG1Lb adopted a different function that does not include an interaction with DNA nor a collaboration with PlRAG2L. By characterizing the different RAG homologues in the echinoid lineage, we hope to increase the knowledge about the evolution of these genes and shed light on their domestication processes.

Abstract IA021: Studies of aging, morphology, and cancer in the domestic dog

Abstract Each of the nearly 450 domestic dog breeds in existence today has a unique history and genetic profile. Early in the domestication process, dogs were bred to perform specific tasks such as herding, guarding and hunting. Later, fanciers developed hundreds of breeds, often displaying variation in body morphology, including shape and size, in addition to coat color, skull shape, leg length, etc. We are interested in understanding the genetic underpinnings of that variation, and applying those results to studies of growth regulation, normal and abnormal behavior and disease susceptibility. Dogs are a naturally-occurring model for many complex human disorders, including cancer. One in two dogs that live to be ten or older will develop cancer in their lifetimes, with most common human cancers occur spontaneously in dogs. This offers unique opportunities to study cancer susceptibility, progression and treatment response. The high rate of single types of cancer in some breeds, such as histiocytic sarcoma in Bernese Mountain Dogs or invasive bladder cancer in Scottish Terriers offers specific advantages for genetic studies that do not exist in human population studies. As with cancer, domestic dogs present interesting opportunities for studies of aging. Surprisingly, small breeds typically live longer than larger breeds, offering the chance to study the interaction between morphology and lifespan. To take advantage of these opportunities, we have assembled the largest and most diverse dataset of dog breeds and other canines to date, with canines originating from six continents, reflecting the extensive phenotypic variation and heritage that coalesce in modern dogs, and identified over 90 million single nucleotide variants. In this presentation we explore the genetics of cancer and aging in dogs, drawing parallels to the human condition. Citation Format: Elaine A. Ostrander. Studies of aging, morphology, and cancer in the domestic dog [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference: Aging and Cancer; 2022 Nov 17-20; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2022;83(2 Suppl_1):Abstract nr IA021.

Molecular Markers for Detecting Inflorescence Size of Brassica oleracea L. Crops and B. oleracea Complex Species (n = 9) Useful for Breeding of Broccoli (B. oleracea var. italica) and Cauliflower (B. oleracea var. botrytis).

The gene flow from Brassica oleracea L. wild relatives to B. oleracea vegetable crops have occurred and continue to occur ordinarily in several Mediterranean countries, such as Sicily, representing an important hot spot of diversity for some of them, such as broccoli, cauliflower and kale. For detecting and for exploiting the forgotten alleles lost during the domestication processes of the B. oleracea crops, attention has been pointed to the individuation of specific markers for individuating genotypes characterized by hypertrophic inflorescence traits by the marker assisted selection (MAS) during the first plant growing phases after the crosses between broccoli (B. oleracea var. italica)/cauliflower (B. oleracea var. botrytis) with B. oleracea wild relatives (n = 9), reducing the cultivation and evaluation costs. The desired traits often found in several B. oleracea wild relatives are mainly addressed to improve the plant resistance to biotic and abiotic stresses and to increase the organoleptic, nutritive and nutraceutical traits of the products. One of the targeted traits for broccoli and cauliflower breeding is represented by the inflorescences size as is documented by the domestication processes of these two crops. Based on the previous results achieved, the numerical matrix, obtained utilizing five simple sequence repeats (SSRs), was analyzed to assess the relationship among the main inflorescence characteristics and the allelic variation of the SSRs loci analyzed (BoABI1, BoAP1, BoPLD1, BoTHL1 and PBCGSSRBo39), both for the Brassica oleracea and B. oleracea wild relatives (n = 9) accessions set. The main inflorescence morphometric characteristics, such as weight, height, diameter, shape, inflorescence curvature angle and its stem diameter, were registered before the flower anthesis. We analyzed the correlations among the allelic variation of the SSRs primers utilized and the inflorescence morphometric characteristics to individuate genomic regions stimulating the hypertrophy of the reproductive organ. The relationships found explain the diversity among B. oleracea crops and the B. oleracea complex species (n = 9) for the inflorescence size and structure. The individuated markers allow important time reduction during the breeding programs after crossing wild species for transferring useful biotic and abiotic resistances and organoleptic and nutraceutical traits to the B. oleracea crops by MAS.

Contrasting Genomic Evolution Between Domesticated and Wild Kluyveromyces lactis Yeast Populations.

The process of domestication has variable consequences on genome evolution leading to different phenotypic signatures. Access to the complete genome sequences of a large number of individuals makes it possible to explore the different facets of this domestication process. Here, we sought to explore the genome evolution of Kluyveromyces lactis, a yeast species well known for its involvement in dairy processes and also present in natural environments. Using a combination of short- and long-read sequencing strategies, we investigated the genomic variability of 41 K. lactis isolates and found that the overall genetic diversity of this species is very high (θw = 3.3 × 10-2) compared with other species such as Saccharomyces cerevisiae (θw = 1.6 × 10-2). However, the domesticated dairy population shows a reduced level of diversity (θw = 1 × 10-3), probably due to a domestication bottleneck. In addition, this entire population is characterized by the introgression of the LAC4 and LAC12 genes, responsible for lactose fermentation and coming from the closely related species, Kluyveromyces marxianus, as previously described. Our results highlighted that the LAC4/LAC12 gene cluster was acquired through multiple and independent introgression events. Finally, we also identified several genes that could play a role in adaptation to dairy environments through copy number variation. These genes are involved in sugar consumption, flocculation, and drug resistance, and may play a role in dairy processes. Overall, our study illustrates contrasting genomic evolution and sheds new light on the impact of domestication processes on it.

Matching beef cattle breeds to the environment for desired outcomes in a changing climate: A systematic review

Cattle graze approximately 30% of global land, making their interactions with Earth's social and ecological systems of critical importance. Cattle have experienced a long process of evolution and domestication. Certain breeds are more adapted to specific environments, differentially affecting those breeds' impact on the environment, their interaction with ecosystems experiencing climate change impacts, and their capacity to provide goods and landscape management services. Emerging evidence suggests that, compared to more artificially selected conventional breeds, some less specialized, or ‘heritage’ beef cattle breeds exhibit unique foraging behaviors that could support desired outcomes such as biodiversity or climate change adaptation. We provide a novel, systematic characterization of breed-based behavioral differences to assist researchers and beef producers in selecting breed-based management strategies for achieving adaptation goals. We conducted a systematic search of studies that compared beef cattle breeds for behavioral trends, and found 54 studies conducted between 1966 and present day, located in 9 of the 14 major terrestrial world biomes, with 60 beef or dual-purpose breeds represented. We created a typology of the studies with respect to decade, continent, breed provenance (Continental, Criollo, Hybrid, B. indicus, Mediterranean, Sanga, British Isles), breed selection intensity (heritage, conventional, hybrid), biome, study intent, and whether breeds met desired outcomes described by the study authors. Most studies (69%) were conducted in arid rangeland settings in developed nations where researchers sought to minimize the environmental impacts of beef production. In comparisons of grazing behavior of heritage versus conventional types (n = 25 studies), and hybrid versus conventional types (n = 18 studies), heritage and hybrid displayed more adapted traits (e.g., better grazing distribution) in 88% and 78% of the studies, respectively. No differences were found in grazing behaviors among most studies wherein heritage breeds were compared to other heritage breeds or conventional with conventional (n = 6 and 15 studies, respectively). In the subset of studies coded with the intent of “foraging behavior,” heritage types traveled faster across a range of pasture sizes, suggesting a lighter environmental footprint and adaptive capacity to heat impacts. Overall, our review suggests that locally derived breeds display grazing behaviors that demonstrate adaptation to their respective native environments and may help producers meet production goals in similar environments. We conclude that breeds with more natural selection tend to exhibit less rigid grazing behaviors, which is a necessary coping strategy in variable climates and locales with heterogeneous forage availability, both of which are increasingly common scenarios caused by climate change.

From Plant Nursery to Field: Persistence of Mycorrhizal Symbiosis Balancing Effects on Growth-Defence Tradeoffs Mediated by Rootstock

The plant domestication process led to crops with strongly modified growth-defense tradeoff features, and crops that were much more pampered in terms of nutrition, irrigation and defense measures, showing less ability to trigger adaptation strategies with respect to their wild relatives. It is worth noting that plants are not alone, they share their environment with a myriad of microbes supporting them with many relevant functions. We have already demonstrated that an arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal (AMF) inoculum (formed by two AMF species, i.e., Rhizophagus irregularis and Funneliformis mosseae) is able to balance growth and defense responses in two grapevine rootstocks with opposite tradeoff features. In the present study, we evaluated the persistence of AMF-mediated balancing effects under field conditions, confirming the positive impact of the symbiosis in vineyards. In detail, some genes related to nitrogen (N) uptake and metabolism were specifically modulated by the presence of the symbionts, while others were not. Additionally, photosynthetic performances and stilbenes accumulation were influenced by the AMF presence. Overall, our results open new questions about the timing of AMF inoculation in grapevine to obtain a stable and functional symbiosis, suggesting that an early inoculation can facilitate the interaction between grapevine roots and these beneficial microorganisms.

Behavioral responses to baited enclosure method that activates habituation in stray dogs.

The behavioral mechanism of stray dog occurrence is associated with domestication process. This study aimed to investigate the population and demographic relationship of stray dogs from our ecological habitat. We tested whether baited enclosure method could be used as an operant conditioning treat-ment to activate habituation behavior in stray dogs. The first investigation determined the population and demographic characteristics of stray dogs in the metropolitan city of Bangkok using the mark and recapture procedure. In the second investigation, a large cage equipped with a digital camera was used as the feeding and habituation area. Food was provided at four corners for 2 h. The approach behaviors and eating patterns were recorded during this period for 7 days. The average number of stray dogs calculated within each cluster was 24 ± 6 dogs. For the natural small habitat, the density of stray dogs was 662 dogs per km2. This indicated that the number of dogs is underestimated using the mark and recapture procedure because of undetected puppies and shifts in the sex ratio in adult dogs. In the second investigation, we demonstrated that food was a potent positive reinforcer for stray dogs. The average onset of cage entry after offering the food was 17 min. The onset of cage entry and the reduction in the first meal duration suggested that the habituation process could be achieved within 1 week. The results revealed the possibility of using a large cage as a novel enclosure for food offered as the positive reinforcer for TNR program trapping procedures. We suggest that this humane trapping procedure could be used to activate habituation behavior in stray dogs.

Can growth in captivity alter the calcaneal microanatomy of a wild ungulate?

Reduced mobility associated with captivity induces changes in biomechanical stress on the skeleton of domesticated animals. Due to bone plasticity, bone’s morphology and internal structure can respond to these new biomechanical stresses over individuals’ lifetime. In a context where documenting early process of animal domestication is challenging, this study will test the hypothesis that change in mobility patterns during a wild ungulate’s life will alter the internal structure of its limb bones and provide a proof of concept for the application of this knowledge in Zooarchaeology. Using the calcaneus as a phenotypic marker through qualitative and quantitative 3D microanatomical analyses, we relied on a comparative study across wild boars (Sus scrofa) populations from controlled experimental conditions with different mobility patterns (natural habitat, large pen, and stall) and archaeological specimens collected from middle and late Mesolithic as surrogate for the norm of reaction in European wild boar phenotype before the spread of agriculture and domestic pigs. Results provide evidence for compressive and tensile forces as the main elements affecting the variation in the cortical thickness along the calcaneus. Furthermore, changes in the internal structure of the calcaneus between mobility patterns are observed but their intensity is not directly associated with the degree of mobility restriction and only weakly impacted by the size or weight of the individuals. Despite having greater bone volume, the calcaneus of the Mesolithic wild boars displays a very similar microanatomy compared to the present-day hunted or captive wild boars. These results suggest that calcaneal microanatomy is more affected by population differences than by locomotor variation. For all these reasons, this preliminary study doesn’t support the use of microanatomy of the calcaneus as an indicator of change in locomotor behaviour induced by captivity in the archaeological record.

Relações íntimas: histórias multiespécie da vida social da mandioca

Abstract Manioc (Manihot esculenta Crantz) is a way of life that gives us the opportunity to rethink agricultural production and thus provides a divergent understanding of the human domestication of plants. In the traditional literature about manioc, its evolution has been recognized as a process of domestication, the control of a biological species by humans or through “the paradigm of human exceptionalism.” In this paper we seek possible ways to tell another story about manioc and its human and non-human companions: a partial and modest testimony among many possibilities found between the biological and anthropological worlds. We argue that the domestication model is only a particular Western mode of telling the story and forming relations with maniocs. To contrast this we see the possibility of opening our minds to another story, to describe the human-manioc relation as an intimate relationship in which all elements are agents, and simultaneously objects of action. Maniocs are bodies-in-movement, growing and developing in the formation of multi-species landscapes. We understand this intimate relationship, as Donna Haraway explains, as a sympoietic story, a process of “becoming-with” that occurs in the flow of life.

Origem, evolução e estratégias para o melhoramento genético de fisális

ABSTRACT: Physalisperuviana L. (physalis) has significant economic potential by virtue of the unique flavor of its fruit. However, the productivity of Brazilian plantations is low because of the limited number of varieties or cultivars available. The main obstacle in the selection of superior genotypes is the lack of information about genetic variability within- and between- populations and limited genetic basis that has likely resulted from evolutionary, domestication and selection processes of the natural or artificial populations. Physalis currently cultivated in Brazil is tetraploid, and such polyploidy may have led to the reproductive isolation of the species, preventing the occurrence of intraspecific hybridization. Moreover, cultivated populations derive from a common gene pool and have undergone a long process of domestication and selection carried out empirically by farmers. In Colombia and other Andean countries there are wild populations that exhibit genetic diversity which; although, fundamental for the conservation of the species, have low potential for the development of genotypes with superior agronomic traits. In order to create and expand the genetic variability of physalis, breeders have employed various strategies including induction of mutation, chromosome duplication, and interspecific and intraspecific hybridization. Furthermore, the production of double haploid lines from in vitro anther cultures has shown good results in the selection of hybrids. The mutant genotypes and/or hybrids obtained using these methods in association with those of wide genomic selection can generate cultivars with superior agronomic traits.

Pedigree Analysis of Modern Muscadine Cultivars Reveals a Narrow Genetic Base

Muscadine grape (Vitis rotundifolia var. rotundifolia) is a rare crop in that it has transitioned from a wild fruiting plant to a domesticated fruit within the past 150 years. Furthermore, this domestication process was carried out by just a few institutions that published copious records of the origin and traits of the first wild selections, goals and methods of the breeding programs, and the pedigrees of releases. We thus have a near complete record of the domestication of this interesting fruit crop. Early breeding efforts made use of fewer than a dozen wild selections, most of which were collected from the coastal plain of North Carolina and South Carolina. This narrow germplasm base has led to increasing levels of inbreeding in the most recent muscadine cultivar releases. To better understand the germplasm base of muscadine, the pedigrees of 54 muscadine cultivars released since 1970 were examined. Only 15 founders (founding clones) were identified that appeared in more than two cultivars, and five of these represent open pollination events that may not indicate the addition of new genetic material. By far the most used founder was ‘Scuppernong’, which appeared in 53 of 54 pedigrees and had an average genetic contribution of 22.8%. The remaining founders varied from 0.9% to 14.8% in their average genetic contribution. Coancestry coefficients between cultivars averaged 0.18, but were often much higher among recent fresh-market releases. Analysis of vine vigor as measured by trunk caliper in seedling progenies suggests that coancestry coefficients greater than 0.23 result in below average seedling vigor. The University of Georgia muscadine breeding program is evaluating multiple wild muscadine accessions to reduce inbreeding and increase the genetic diversity of its germplasm.

Whole-genome resequencing reveals recent signatures of selection in five populations of largemouth bass ( Micropterus salmoides).

Largemouth bass ( Micropterus salmoides) is an economically important fish species in North America, Europe, and China. Various genetic improvement programs and domestication processes have modified its genome sequence through selective pressure, leaving nucleotide signals that can be detected at the genomic level. In this study, we sequenced 149 largemouth bass fish, including protospecies (imported from the US) and improved breeds (four domestic breeding populations from China). We detected genomic regions harboring certain genes associated with improved traits, which may be useful molecular markers for practical domestication, breeding, and selection. Subsequent analyses of genetic diversity and population structure revealed that the improved breeds have undergone more rigorous genetic changes. Through selective signal analysis, we identified hundreds of putative selective sweep regions in each largemouth bass line. Interestingly, we predicted 103 putative candidate genes potentially subjected to selection, including several associated with growth (p sst1 and grb10), early development ( klf9, sp4, and sp8), and immune traits ( pkn2, sept2, bcl6, and ripk2). These candidate genes represent potential genomic landmarks that could be used to improve important traits of biological and commercial interest. In summary, this study provides a genome-wide map of genetic variations and selection footprints in largemouth bass, which may benefit genetic studies and accelerate genetic improvement of this economically important fish.