Three Thousand Years of Continuity in the Maternal Lineages of Ancient Sheep (Ovis aries) in Estonia

Eve Rannamae; Lembi Lõugas; Camilla Filomena Speller; Heiki  Valk; Liina  Maldre; Jarosław   Wilczyński; Aleksandr  Mikhailov; Urmas Saarma

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0163676

Three Thousand Years of Continuity in the Maternal Lineages of Ancient Sheep (Ovis aries) in Estonia

Eve Rannamae, Lembi Lõugas, Camilla Filomena Speller, Heiki Valk, Liina Maldre, Jarosław Wilczyński, Aleksandr Mikhailov, Urmas Saarma

Archaeology

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

lthough sheep (Ovis aries) have been one of the most exploited domestic animals in Estonia since the Late Bronze Age, relatively little is known about their genetic history. Here, we explore temporal changes in Estonian sheep populations and their mitochondrial genetic diversity over the last 3000 years. We target a 558 base pair fragment of the mitochondrial hypervariable region in 115 ancient sheep from 71 sites in Estonia (c. 1200 BC – AD 1900s), 19 ancient samples from Latvia, Russia, Poland and Greece (6800 BC – AD 1700), as well as 44 samples of modern Kihnu native sheep breed. Our analyses revealed: (1) 49 mitochondrial haplotypes, associated with sheep haplogroups A and B; (2) high haplotype diversity in Estonian ancient sheep; (3) continuity in mtDNA haplotypes through time; (4) possible population expansion during the first centuries of the Middle Ages (associated with the establishment of the new power regime related to 13th century crusades); (5) significant difference in genetic diversity between ancient populations and modern native sheep, in agreement with the beginning of large-scale breeding in the 19th century and population decline in local sheep. Overall, our results suggest that in spite of the observed fluctuations in ancient sheep populations, and changes in the natural and historical conditions, the utilisation of local sheep has been constant in the territory of Estonia, displaying matrilineal continuity from the Middle Bronze Age through the Modern Period, and into modern native sheep.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	1-47
Number of pages	47
Journal	PLoS ONE
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0163676
Publication status	Published - 12 Oct 2016

Bibliographical note

Keywords

Ovis aries
aDNA
MTDNA
GENETIC DIVERSITY
ancient lineage
Estonia

Access to Document

10.1371/journal.pone.0163676

Rannamäe et al PLoS ONE_pre-print
© [year], [owner].
Accepted author manuscript, 1.33 MBLicence: CC BY

Cite this

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title = "Three Thousand Years of Continuity in the Maternal Lineages of Ancient Sheep (Ovis aries) in Estonia",

abstract = "lthough sheep (Ovis aries) have been one of the most exploited domestic animals in Estonia since the Late Bronze Age, relatively little is known about their genetic history. Here, we explore temporal changes in Estonian sheep populations and their mitochondrial genetic diversity over the last 3000 years. We target a 558 base pair fragment of the mitochondrial hypervariable region in 115 ancient sheep from 71 sites in Estonia (c. 1200 BC – AD 1900s), 19 ancient samples from Latvia, Russia, Poland and Greece (6800 BC – AD 1700), as well as 44 samples of modern Kihnu native sheep breed. Our analyses revealed: (1) 49 mitochondrial haplotypes, associated with sheep haplogroups A and B; (2) high haplotype diversity in Estonian ancient sheep; (3) continuity in mtDNA haplotypes through time; (4) possible population expansion during the first centuries of the Middle Ages (associated with the establishment of the new power regime related to 13th century crusades); (5) significant difference in genetic diversity between ancient populations and modern native sheep, in agreement with the beginning of large-scale breeding in the 19th century and population decline in local sheep. Overall, our results suggest that in spite of the observed fluctuations in ancient sheep populations, and changes in the natural and historical conditions, the utilisation of local sheep has been constant in the territory of Estonia, displaying matrilineal continuity from the Middle Bronze Age through the Modern Period, and into modern native sheep.",

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AU - Valk, Heiki

AU - Maldre, Liina

AU - Wilczyński, Jarosław

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