Revisiting two hypotheses on the “domestication syndrome” in light of genomic data

Domesticated mammals of many different species share a set of physical and physiological traits that are not displayed by any of their wild progenitors. This suite of traits, now termed the “domestication syndrome” (DS), has been a puzzle since Charles Darwin discovered it. Two general explanations...

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Main Author: A. S. Wilkins
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Federal Research Center Institute of Cytology and Genetics, The Vavilov Society of Geneticists and Breeders 2017-07-01
Series:Вавиловский журнал генетики и селекции
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Online Access:https://vavilov.elpub.ru/jour/article/view/1020
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author A. S. Wilkins
author_facet A. S. Wilkins
author_sort A. S. Wilkins
collection DOAJ
description Domesticated mammals of many different species share a set of physical and physiological traits that are not displayed by any of their wild progenitors. This suite of traits, now termed the “domestication syndrome” (DS), has been a puzzle since Charles Darwin discovered it. Two general explanations of its basis have been proposed, which in principle, could also apply to other vertebrates, such as fish and birds, whose domesticated varieties show some of its elements. The two ideas are termed here, respectively, the thyroid hormone hypothesis or the THH, and the neural crest cell hypothesis, the NCCH. The two ideas make distinctly different genetic predictions. Here, the current relevant evidence from genomics is evaluated and it is concluded that the NCCH has more support. Nevertheless, one set of observations, from chickens, suggest a potentially important role of altered thyroid metabolism in domestication. In addition, recent studies indicate the possibility of additional genetic factors in domestication, affecting tameness and sociality, that may go beyond either hypothesis. The tasks that lie ahead to fully ascertain the genetic bases of the “domestication syndrome” and the behaviors that characterize mammalian domestication are discussed briefly.
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spelling doaj-art-93296a32b60c4b8eb80f0bae4cbf069a2025-02-01T09:58:04ZengSiberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Federal Research Center Institute of Cytology and Genetics, The Vavilov Society of Geneticists and BreedersВавиловский журнал генетики и селекции2500-32592017-07-0121443544210.18699/VJ17.262628Revisiting two hypotheses on the “domestication syndrome” in light of genomic dataA. S. Wilkins0Institute of Theoretical Biology, Humboldt Universität zu BerlinDomesticated mammals of many different species share a set of physical and physiological traits that are not displayed by any of their wild progenitors. This suite of traits, now termed the “domestication syndrome” (DS), has been a puzzle since Charles Darwin discovered it. Two general explanations of its basis have been proposed, which in principle, could also apply to other vertebrates, such as fish and birds, whose domesticated varieties show some of its elements. The two ideas are termed here, respectively, the thyroid hormone hypothesis or the THH, and the neural crest cell hypothesis, the NCCH. The two ideas make distinctly different genetic predictions. Here, the current relevant evidence from genomics is evaluated and it is concluded that the NCCH has more support. Nevertheless, one set of observations, from chickens, suggest a potentially important role of altered thyroid metabolism in domestication. In addition, recent studies indicate the possibility of additional genetic factors in domestication, affecting tameness and sociality, that may go beyond either hypothesis. The tasks that lie ahead to fully ascertain the genetic bases of the “domestication syndrome” and the behaviors that characterize mammalian domestication are discussed briefly.https://vavilov.elpub.ru/jour/article/view/1020animal domestication“domestication syndrome”charles darwincomparative genomicsneotenyneural crest cellsthyroid metabolism.
spellingShingle A. S. Wilkins
Revisiting two hypotheses on the “domestication syndrome” in light of genomic data
Вавиловский журнал генетики и селекции
animal domestication
“domestication syndrome”
charles darwin
comparative genomics
neoteny
neural crest cells
thyroid metabolism.
title Revisiting two hypotheses on the “domestication syndrome” in light of genomic data
title_full Revisiting two hypotheses on the “domestication syndrome” in light of genomic data
title_fullStr Revisiting two hypotheses on the “domestication syndrome” in light of genomic data
title_full_unstemmed Revisiting two hypotheses on the “domestication syndrome” in light of genomic data
title_short Revisiting two hypotheses on the “domestication syndrome” in light of genomic data
title_sort revisiting two hypotheses on the domestication syndrome in light of genomic data
topic animal domestication
“domestication syndrome”
charles darwin
comparative genomics
neoteny
neural crest cells
thyroid metabolism.
url https://vavilov.elpub.ru/jour/article/view/1020
work_keys_str_mv AT aswilkins revisitingtwohypothesesonthedomesticationsyndromeinlightofgenomicdata