2026-08-30T06:07:44Zhttps://riubu.ubu.es/oai/request

oai:riubu.ubu.es:10259/113022026-01-30T10:56:26Zcom_10259.4_2551com_10259_5086com_10259_2604col_10259.4_2552

Günther, Torsten Chisausky, Jacob Galindo-Pellicena, Ángeles M Iriarte Avilés, Eneko Cortes Gardyn, Oscar Eusebi, Paulina G García González, Rebeca Ureña, Irene Moreno-García, Marta Alday, Alfonso . Rojo, Manuel Pérez Romero, Amalia Tejedor Rodríguez, Cristina García Martínez de Lagrán, Inigo . Arsuaga, Juan Luis Carretero Díaz, José Miguel Götherström, Anders Smith, Colin Ian Valdiosera Morales, Cristina Eugenia 2026-01-29T11:31:25Z 2026-01-29T11:31:25Z 2025-03 https://hdl.handle.net/10259/11302 10.7554/eLife.93076.3 2050-084X Cattle (Bos taurus) play an important role in the life of humans in the Iberian Peninsula not just as a food source but also in cultural events. When domestic cattle were first introduced to Iberia, wild aurochs (Bos primigenius) were still present, leaving ample opportunity for mating (whether intended by farmers or not). Using a temporal bioarchaeological dataset covering eight millennia, we trace gene flow between the two groups. Our results show frequent hybridisation during the Neolithic and Chalcolithic, likely reflecting a mix of hunting and herding or relatively unmanaged herds, with mostly male aurochs and female domestic cattle involved. This is supported by isotopic evidence consistent with ecological niche sharing, with only a few domestic cattle possibly being managed. The proportion of aurochs ancestry in domestic cattle remains relatively constant from about 4000 years ago, probably due to herd management and selection against first generation hybrids, coinciding with other cultural transitions. The constant level of wild ancestry (~20%) continues into modern Western European breeds including Iberian cattle selected for aggressiveness and fighting ability. This study illuminates the genomic impact of human actions and wild introgression in the establishment of cattle as one of the most important domestic species today. Funding: Vetenskapsrådet (2017-05267); Royal Physiographic Society of Lund; Ramón y Cajal (RYC2018-025223-I); Beatriz Galindo Fellowship (BGS220-461AA-69201); Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades (PID2021-122355NB-C31); European Regional Development Fund (A way of making Europe); application/pdf eng eLife Sciences Publications eLife. 2025, V. 13, p. RP93076 https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.93076.3 Atribución 4.0 Internacional http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess Arqueología Restos de animales (Arqueología) Archaeology Animal remains (Archaeology) The genomic legacy of aurochs hybridisation in ancient and modern Iberian cattle info:eu-repo/semantics/article info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion eLife 13 RP93076