Ancient mtDNA diversity reveals specific population development of wild horses in Switzerland after the Last Glacial Maximum.
Authors: Elsner Julia, Hofreiter Michael, Schibler Jörg, Schlumbaum Angela
Journal: PloS one
Summary
# Editorial Summary: Ancient mtDNA diversity reveals specific population development of wild horses in Switzerland after the Last Glacial Maximum Environmental shifts following the Last Glacial Maximum fundamentally reshaped European ecosystems, yet regional population responses in wild fauna remain poorly characterised. Researchers analysed mitochondrial DNA from 92 archaeological horse remains spanning nine Swiss sites (c. 41,000–5,000 years BP), using 240 base pair sequences of the mtDNA d-loop to track maternal lineage changes across distinct climate and landscape transitions—from glacial maximum through post-glacial steppe, afforestation, and early human land-use modification. Swiss horse populations exhibited marked genetic differentiation during and immediately after the LGM (evidenced by high FST values), but subsequently underwent rapid expansion following ice retreat, with significantly negative Tajima's D and Fu's FS statistics indicating population recovery from bottleneck conditions. This regional trajectory diverged notably from contemporary Asian populations, which declined during the same post-glacial period, suggesting that population dynamics were driven by locally-specific environmental and ecological factors rather than continental-scale patterns. For equine professionals engaged in understanding modern horse populations, breeding dynamics, and adaptive capacity, this work underscores how regional geography and vegetation structure shape population structure independently of broader climatic trends—a principle with implications for conservation planning and interpreting genetic diversity in contemporary herds.
Read the full abstract on PubMed
Practical Takeaways
- •Understanding historical wild horse population dynamics in Europe provides genetic context for modern horse breed development and genetic diversity patterns
- •Regional variations in post-glacial horse population expansion suggest that environmental factors and landscape changes had location-specific effects on equine population viability
- •Ancient DNA studies of archaeological remains offer insights into long-term equine population resilience and adaptation to climate-driven habitat changes
Key Findings
- •Analysis of 92 archaeological horse remains spanning 41,000-5,000 years BP revealed large genetic differentiation of populations during and after the Last Glacial Maximum (FST values indicated significant differentiation)
- •Following ice retreat, a highly diverse horse population expanded into Switzerland as evidenced by significantly negative Tajima's D and Fu's FS values
- •Swiss wild horses showed discontinuous colonization by succeeding populations, diverging from the broader Eurasian trend where populations declined post-LGM
- •Regional-scale mitochondrial d-loop analysis (240 base pairs) demonstrated population-specific development distinct from Asian horse populations during the same period