Large-Scale Mitochondrial DNA Analysis of the Domestic Goat Reveals Six Haplogroups with High Diversity

Background. From the beginning of domestication, the transportation of domestic animals resulted in genetic and demographic processes that explain their present distribution and genetic structure. Thus studying the present genetic diversity helps to better understand the history of domestic species. Methodology/Principal Findings. The genetic diversity of domestic goats has been characterized with 2430 individuals from all over the old world, including 946 new individuals from regions poorly studied until now (mainly the Fertile Crescent). These individuals represented 1540 haplotypes for the HVI segment of the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) control region. This large-scale study allowed the establishment of a clear nomenclature of the goat maternal haplogroups. Only five of the six previously defined groups of haplotypes were divergent enough to be considered as different haplogroups. Moreover a new mitochondrial group has been localized around the Fertile Crescent. All groups showed very high haplotype diversity. Most of this diversity was distributed among groups and within geographic regions. The weak geographic structure may result from the worldwide distribution of the dominant A haplogroup (more than 90% of the individuals). The large-scale distribution of other haplogroups (except one), may be related to human migration. The recent fragmentation of local goat populations into discrete breeds is not detectable with mitochondrial markers. The estimation of demographic parameters from mismatch analyses showed that all groups had a recent demographic expansion corresponding roughly to the period when domestication took place. But even with a large data set it remains difficult to give relative dates of expansion for different haplogroups because of large confidence intervals. Conclusions/Significance. We propose standard criteria for the definition of the different haplogroups based on the result of mismatch analysis and on the use of sequences of reference. Such a method could be also applied for clarifying the nomenclature of mitochondrial haplogroups in other domestic species

Los Batanes: A trap for the Pyrenean wild goat during the Late Pleistocene (Spain)

Los Batanes cave (1025 m.a.s.l.) is a karstic system formed by pressure ducts, near the locality of Biescas in the Upper Gallego Valley (Huesca, Spain). Many fossil remains were retrieved from the cave sediments. The minimum sediment calendar age was determined to be 12.770 ± 60 BP. This date indicates that the deposit was formed before the Late Pleistocene-Early Holocene transition at the Pyrenees. Here we analyze the faunal assemblage of the site that is only conformed by remains of Pyrenean wild goat (Capra pyrenaica pyrenaica), which is a recently extinct subspecies of Iberian wild goat (C. pyrenaica). In the site, 1079 remains of Iberian wild goat have been recovered being one of the most numerous both in minimum number of individuals (MNI) and number of identified specimens (NISP) recovered until now in a natural trap in the Spanish Pyrenees. The population of Los Batanes shows a wide range of ages between juvenile and senile individuals and the MNI estimated from the number of right metatarsus is nine. The taphonomic features indicate that the cave acted as a trap for the goats which inhabited the vicinity of the cave. These goats probably stumbled and fell to the bottom of the pit and they could not get out, dying inside. Due to the origin of the accumulation numerous complete bones have been recovered. These fossil allow us to perform a biometric analysis that indicates that population of Los Batanes is in the range size of other goats from Late Pleistocene of Iberian Peninsula

Analyse génétique spatialisée (le modèle Grenouille rousse (Rana temporaria))

GRENOBLE1-BU Sciences (384212103) / SudocSudocFranceF

First results on the Common frog Rana temporaria phylogeography

International audienceClimatic Quaternary events had drastic consequences on biogeographical range and genetic patterns of plants and animals species. The Common frog Rana temporaria is a naturally widespread anuran in Europe, and the aim of this work was to analysed its phylogeography. Individuals were sampled in the whole geographic range and a mitochondrial gene (cyto b) was sequenced. A preliminary phylogenetic analysis revealed three major clades within R. temporaria species. The Common frog found refuge in three southern areas: Iberian Peninsula, Italy and the Balkans. The postglacial recolonization of Europe would have occurred from two major lineages: one westward from Italy and one eastward from the Balkans, with a current suture-zone between them and localized somewhere between Germany and the Balkans. The Iberian populations stayed isolated. Mitochondrial sequences of populations from north-western Spain confirm the genetic validity of the subspecies R. t. parvipalmata. On the contrary, the status of the taxon R. t. honnorati from "Alpes Maritimes" (France) should be revised

Buccal swabs as a non-destructive tissue sampling method for DNA analysis in amphibians

ISI Document Delivery No.: 821GR Times Cited: 6 Cited Reference Count: 14 English Article 0268-0130International audienceThis study describes a non-destructive DNA sampling method for genetic studies on amphibians using buccal swabs. We assessed the quantity and quality of DNA collected in each species by amplifying a part of the cytochrome b gene (381-1060 bp) and microsatellite markers. Buccal swab sampling is a useful alternative method for DNA sampling for both mtDNA and nDNA markers in amphibians. However, only frozen storage allowed microsatellite genotyping. We conclude that this method could greatly increase the accessibility of genetic studies in small vertebrates and could be preferred in the field of conservation genetics

Greedy placement of measurement devices on distribution grids based on enhanced distflow state estimation

The needs for improving observability of medium and low voltage distribution networks has been significantly increased, in recent year. In this paper, we focus on practical approaches for placement of affordable Measurement Devices (MDs), which are providing three phases voltage, current, and power measurements with certain level of precision. The placement procedure is composed of a state-estimation algorithm and of a greedy placement scheme. The proposed state-estimation algorithm is based on the Distflow model, enhanced to consider the shunt elements (e.g., cable capacitances) of the network, which are not negligible in low voltage networks with underground cables. The greedy placement scheme is formulated such that it finds the location of minimum required number of MDs while certain grid observability limits are satisfied. These limits are defined as the accuracy of state-estimation results in terms of voltage magnitudes and line currents over all nodes and lines, respectively. The effectiveness of the proposed placement procedure has been validated on a realistic test grid of 10 medium voltage nodes and 75 low voltage nodes, whose topology and parameters were made available from the Distribution System Operator (DSO) of the city of Geneva, Switzerland

Polymorphic microsatellite DNA loci identified in the common frog (Rana temporaria, Amphibia, Ranidae)

International audienceWe developed seven microsatellite loci in the common frog, Rana temporaria. There were between 2 and 27 alleles per locus and the expected heterozygosities ranged from 0.28 to 0.96 in a sample of frogs collected in the French Alps. Adding these seven markers to the 15 previously available microsatellite loci for this species should facilitate studies of genetic structure of Rana temporaria populations at a fine geographical scale

Evolutionary history of the genus Capra (Mammalia, Artiodactyla): Discordance between mitochondrial DNA and Y-chromosome phylogenies

International audienceThe systematics of the genus Capra remain controversial in spite of studies conducted using morphology, mtDNA, and allozymes. Here, we assess the evolutionary history of Capra (i) using phylogenetic analysis of two nuclear genes located on the Y-chromosome and (ii) previously published and new cytochrome b sequences. For the Y-chromosome phylogeny, we sequenced segments from the amelogenin (AMELY) and zinc finger (ZFY) genes from all of the eight wild taxa and from domestic goats (Capra hircus). Phylogenetic analysis of the Y-chromosome data revealed two well-defined clades. The domestic goat (C. hircus), the bezoar (Capra aegagrus), and the markhor (C. falconeri) belong to one clade (ML bootstrap value [BP]: 98%), suggesting that domestic goats originated from one or both of these wild species. The second clade (ML BP: 92%) is comprised of all the other wild species. Horn morphology is generally concordant with the Y-chromosome phylogeny. The mtDNA data also revealed two well-defined clades. However, the species in each clade are different from those inferred from the Y-chromosome data. To explain the discordance between Y-chromosome and mtDNA phylogenies, several hypotheses are considered. We suggest that a plausible scenario involves mtDNA introgression between ancestral taxa before the relatively recent colonization of Western Europe, the Caucasus Mountains, and East Africa by Capra populations. (c) 2006 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved

Transmission d'énergie par réseaux à courant continu multiterminaux ::perspectives d'application et exemple de maquette

La possibilité de transporter l'électricité renouvelable avec peu de pertes et une forte densité d'énergie positionne le courant continu comme l'une des options de développement du réseau. Avant d'être déployés à grande échelle, les réseaux à courant continu multiterminaux font l'objet de nombreuses études. En complément de la simulation numérique, l'utilisation de maquettes à échelle réduite peut se révéler très intéressante. Cet article discute l'utilisation future de ces réseaux et présente une maquette réalisée à l'École d'ingénieurs et d'architectes de Fribourg