Relationship between wild greylag and European domestic geese based on mitochondrial DNA

Abstract

The origins of the European domestic goose are uncertain. The available information comes from archaeological findings and historical literature, but genetic evidence has hitherto been scarce. The domestic goose in Europe is derived from the greylag goose (Anser anser), but it is not known where the initial domestication took place and which of the two subspecies of greylag goose was ancestral. We aimed to determine the amount and geographical distribution of genetic diversity in modern populations of greylag geese as well as in different breeds of the domestic goose to make inferences about goose domestication. We studied DNA sequence variation in the mitochondrial control region of greylag geese from multiple populations across Europe and western Asia as well as specimens of domestic geese representing 18 modern breeds and individuals not belonging to any recognised breed. Our results show notable differences in genetic diversity between different greylag goose populations and the presence of six mitochondrial haplogroups which show a degree of geographical partitioning. The genetic diversity of the domestic goose is low, with 84% of sampled individuals having one of two major closely related haplotypes, suggesting that modern European domestic geese may derive from a narrow genetic base. The site of domestication remains unresolved, but domestic geese in Turkey were unusually diverse, indicating the importance of further sampling in the vicinity of the eastern Mediterranean and the Near East. There appears to be past or ongoing hybridisation between greylags and domestic geese in particular areas, consistent with field observations.

Conservation genetics of a resident population of Greylag Goose (Anser anser) at the southernmost limit of the species’ distribution in Europe

“…All 51 individuals sequenced were found to be monomorphic in the amplified fragment of the CR, providing a single haplotype. After comparison with published studies, our sequence was identified as the haplotype E7 that was only found in birds from Prespa Lakes in Heikkinen et al (2015). All microsatellite markers were found to be polymorphic in the population and the number of alleles per locus ranged from two (loci Aph19, Hhiµ1b) to nine (locus Ans02; Additional file 1: Table S2).…”

“…All extractions were performed with the DNeasy Blood and Tissue kit (Qiagen) following the manufacturer's protocol. For mtDNA analyses we amplified a 394 bp fragment near the 5′ end of the Control Region (CR), using primers L16642 and H411ANX (Ruokonen et al 2000;Heikkinen et al 2015) for 51 individuals. Each 12.5 μL PCR reaction contained 1 unit of Taq DNA polymerase (Finnzymes), 1× reaction buffer, 1.5 mM of MgCl 2 , 0.2 mM of each dNTP, 0.5 mM of each primer and 50 ng of DNA template.…”

“…We counted the number of different CR haplotypes in the population from retrieved mtDNA sequences. To examine the phylogeographic position of the study population, we compared our results with previously published sequences from Greylag Goose (Heikkinen et al 2015). Due to the presence of a single haplotype in all individuals it was not possible to proceed with further mtDNA diversity analyses.…”

“…So far, a limited amount of studies have investigated the genetic aspects of Greylag Goose populations. Works by Heikkinen et al (2015) and Pellegrino et al (2015) examined the genetic variability of the species and its geographical distribution based on mtDNA and microsatellite markers. It seems that there is limited genetic structure and high genetic admixture of populations that can be attributed mainly to behavioural and anthropogenic factors.…”

“…It seems that there is limited genetic structure and high genetic admixture of populations that can be attributed mainly to behavioural and anthropogenic factors. Admixture of individuals from distant areas and consequent formation of pair bonds in the wintering sites is a common behaviour for geese, while hybridization of wild and domesticated geese and reintroductions of Greylag Geese, are rather widespread practices in amateur goose husbandry (Heikkinen et al 2015). However, not all goose populations are thoroughly studied, and the knowledge of genetic diversity and structure of small and isolated populations is necessary so that appropriate conservation actions can be designed.…”