Genomic evidence of a single domestication origin for modern cattle

Miraszek, J. L.; Cooper, A.; Llamas, B.; Chen, K.; Mitchell, K. J.; van Loenen, A.; Heiniger, H.; Souilmi, Y.; Gower, G.; Rowan, H. J.; Wrinn, P. J.; Diaz Miranda, E. A.; Facioni Guimaraes, S. E.; Vasil'ev, S.; Ovodov, N. D.; Taylor, J. F.; Schnabel, R. D.; Decker, J. E.

doi:10.64898/2026.11.04.764331

bioRxiv · 10.64898/2026.11.04.764331

Genomic evidence of a single domestication origin for modern cattle

Miraszek, J. L.·Cooper, A.·Llamas, B.·Chen, K.·Mitchell, K. J.·van Loenen, A.·Heiniger, H.·Souilmi, Y.·Gower, G.·Rowan, H. J.·Wrinn, P. J.·Diaz Miranda, E. A.·Facioni Guimaraes, S. E.·Vasil'ev, S.·Ovodov, N. D.·Taylor, J. F.·Schnabel, R. D.·Decker, J. E.

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Abstract

Domesticated cattle occur as humpless taurine and humped zebu, historically explained as two independent domestications in the Fertile Crescent and Indus Valley. We question the validity of this model using whole-genome analyses of cattle and their wild relatives, including extinct aurochs. Zebu derives from admixture between domesticated taurine cattle and Indian aurochs and has elevated genomic diversity from an ancient introgression of a gaur-like or banteng-like population into Indian aurochs. We identify selective introgression in zebu from both 238 Indian aurochs-derived genes enriched for environmental adaptation, and 283 taurine-derived genes enriched for domestication loci. We suggest this process was shaped by polygenic selection. Modern cattle diversity traces from a single domestication event, followed by migration, wild introgression, and selection.

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Miraszek, J. L., Cooper, A., Llamas, B., Chen, K., Mitchell, K. J., van Loenen, A., Heiniger, H., Souilmi, Y., Gower, G., Rowan, H. J., Wrinn, P. J., Diaz Miranda, E. A., Facioni Guimaraes, S. E., Vasil'ev, S., Ovodov, N. D., Taylor, J. F., Schnabel, R. D., Decker, J. E.. 2026-11-06. Genomic evidence of a single domestication origin for modern cattle. https://doi.org/10.64898/2026.11.04.764331

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