Tracking Zebu Introgression in Mediterranean Cattle Breeds

A recent work investigating genetic origin, admixture and population history of primitive European cattle highlighted, by using genome-wide single nucleotide polymorphisms, zebu gene flow in the Balkan and Italian Podolic cattle populations. Haemoglobin protein polymorphism analysis in Italian breeds highlighted the presence of zebuine markers in both Italian Podolic and Alpine Grey cattle. Based on the above evidences, we here specifically look for genomic regions of zebuine ancestry in a different dataset of 50K genotypes from Mediterranean breeds including 29 Marismena (Spain); 30 Bazadaise and 30 Gasconne (France); 24 Alpine Grey, 97 Piemontese, 51 Chianina, 5 Marchigiana, 121 Romagnola…