MC1R residue 223 is a convergent target for coat-colour lightening in domestic and wild bovids

MC1R residue 223 is repeatedly targeted for coat-colour lightening, with p.Arg223Trp fixed in surveyed Oreamnos americanus and a JTT-based neutral probability of 0.0043.

• Why it matters: Evolutionary genomics asks whether similar coat phenotypes arise via shared substitutions or different molecular routes, especially across domesticated and wild lineages.
• What they did: Using whole-genome resequencing plus selection scans and grey-versus-non-grey breed contrasts in taurine cattle, the study identified a BTA18 signal and linked it to MC1R residue 223 variants.
• The result: Haplotype and ancient-genome screening supported independent origins of MC1R p.Arg223Trp versus p.Gly220_Arg223dup in cattle, and mammalian comparisons showed independent recurrence of p.Arg223Trp in Oreamnos americanus.

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