Genetic diversity of Asian water buffalo (Bubalus bubalis): mitochondrial DNA D‐loop and cytochrome b sequence variation

Abstract

Swamp and river buffalo mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) was sequenced for 303 bp of the cytochrome b gene for 54 animals from 14 populations, and for 158 bp of the D-loop region for 80 animals from 11 populations. Only one cytochrome b haplotype was found in river buffalo. Of the four haplotypes identified in swamp buffalo, one found in all populations is apparently ancestral both to the other swamp haplotypes and to the river haplotype. The phylogenetic relationships among the 33 D-loop haplotypes, with a cluster of 11 found in swamp buffalo only, also support the evolution of domesticated swamp and river buffalo from an ancestral swamp-like animal, most likely represented today by the wild Asian buffalo (Bubalus arnee). The time of divergence of the swamp and river types, estimated from the D-loop data, is 28,000 to 87,000 years ago. We hypothesise that the species originated in mainland south-east Asia, and that it spread north to China and west to the Indian subcontinent, where the rive type evolved and was domesticated. Following domestication in China, the domesticated swamp buffalo spread through two separate routes, through Taiwan and the Philippines to the eastern islands of Borneo and Sulawesi, and south through mainland south-east Asia and then to the western islands of Indonesia.

Authentication of meat from game and domestic species by SNaPshot minisequencing analysis

“…The mtDNA cyt b gene was selected as template for DNA amplification because it had been used in species identification and in taxonomic and phylogenetic studies (Cook, Wang, & Sensabaugh, 1999;Irwin, Kocher, & Wilson, 1991;Kocher et al, 1989;Kuwayama & Ozawa, 2000;Lau et al, 1998;Su, Wang, Lan, Wang, & Zhang, 1999).…”

Livestock genetic origins: Goats buck the trend

“…E-mail: david.machugh@ucd.ie. ification) established taxonomic categorizations based on morphology, i.e., that between humped and humpless cattle and that between river and swamp buffalo (4,(12)(13)(14). The division in pigs is also between European samples and those from Asia (8,15).…”

Determination of the complete nucleotide sequence and haplotypes in the D-loop region of the mitochondrial genome in the Oriental white stork, Ciconia boyciana.

“…The nucleotide variations in the D-loop region have been studied to reveal the genetic variation in, and population structure of, the chum salmon (Park et al 1993), the dunlin (Wenink and Baker 1996), the green turtle (Encalada et al 1996), the kokanee (Taylor et al 1997), the Japanese sika deer (Nagata et al 1998), the Asian water buffalo (Lau et al 1998), the Japanese golden eagle ) and the eastern lowland gorilla (Saltonstall et al 1998). Only four nucleotide differences were found among 16 chum salmon individuals (Park et al 1993), while 33 haplotypes were identified among 80 water buffalo individuals (Lau et al 1998). In comparison with the frequencies of haplotypes in the natural population of these vertebrates, that of the captive Oriental white storks (nine haplotypes among 26 individuals), can be considered relatively high.…”