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Edited by David M. Hillis, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, and approved September 11, 2015 (received for review August 19, 2015)
Significance
Dogs were the first domesticated species, but the precise timing and location of domestication are hotly debated. Using genomic data from 5,392 dogs, including a global set of 549 village dogs, we find strong evidence that dogs were domesticated in Central Asia, perhaps near present-day Nepal and Mongolia. Dogs in nearby regions (e.g., East Asia, India, and Southwest Asia) contain high levels of genetic diversity due to their proximity to Central Asia and large population sizes. Indigenous dog populations in the Neotropics and South Pacific have been largely replaced by European dogs, whereas those in Africa show varying degrees of European vs. indigenous African ancestry.
Abstract
Dogs were the first domesticated species, originating at least 15,000 y ago from Eurasian gray wolves. Dogs today consist primarily of two specialized groups—a diverse set of nearly 400 pure breeds and a far more populous group of free-ranging animals adapted to a human commensal lifestyle (village dogs). Village dogs are more genetically diverse and geographically widespread than purebred dogs making them vital for unraveling dog population history. Using a semicustom 185,805-marker genotyping array, we conducted a large-scale survey of autosomal, mitochondrial, and Y chromosome diversity in 4,676 purebred dogs from 161 breeds and 549 village dogs from 38 countries. Geographic structure shows both isolation and gene flow have shaped genetic diversity in village dog populations. Some populations (notably those in the Neotropics and the South Pacific) are almost completely derived from European stock, whereas others are clearly admixed between indigenous and European dogs. Importantly, many populations—including those of Vietnam, India, and Egypt—show minimal evidence of European admixture. These populations exhibit a clear gradient of short-range linkage disequilibrium consistent with a Central Asian domestication origin.
Footnotes
- ↵1To whom correspondence should be addressed. Email: boyko{at}cornell.edu.
Author contributions: R.H.B., J.C., A.G., D.L., N.B.S., R.J.T., C.D.B., and A.R.B. designed research; L.M.S., R.H.B., M.C., E.C., J.J.H., C.M., M.E.W., M.A.S., B.A.A., N.I.B., J.C., A.G., M.H., B.I., R.K., D.L., A.M., K.C.O., L.P., J.R., N.M.T., F.J.T.-C., C.V., N.B.S., R.J.T., and A.R.B. performed research; L.M.S. and A.R.B. analyzed data; and L.M.S. and A.R.B. wrote the paper.
Conflict of interest statement: A.R.B. and R.H.B. are cofounders and officers of Embark Veterinary, Inc., a canine genetics testing company.
This article is a PNAS Direct Submission.
Data deposition: Genotype and geographical data have been deposited in Dryad, datadryad.org (doi:10.5061/dryad.v9t5h).
This article contains supporting information online at www.pnas.org/lookup/suppl/doi:10.1073/pnas.1516215112/-/DCSupplemental.
Dog genetic diversity reveals Central Asian origin
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