Genomic evidence of a single domestication origin for modern cattle

Whole-genome analyses of cattle and wild relatives show zebu arose via admixture with Indian aurochs, and modern cattle diversity traces to a single domestication event.

• Why it matters: The long-standing two-domestication model for taurine and zebu in the Fertile Crescent and Indus Valley is uncertain, and genomic evidence is needed to test it.
• What they did: They analyzed whole genomes including extinct aurochs and found zebu includes 238 Indian aurochs-derived genes and 283 taurine-derived genes showing selective introgression linked to environmental adaptation and domestication loci.
• The result: The pattern suggests polygenic selection shaped introgression, implying modern cattle diversity reflects one domestication origin followed by migration, wild gene flow, and selection.

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