Genomic evidence of a single domestication origin for modern cattle

John L. Miraszek; Alan Cooper; Bastian Llamas; Kefei Chen; Kieren J. Mitchell; Ayla van Loenen; Holly Heiniger; Yassine Souilmi; Graham Gower; Harly J. Rowan; Patrick J. Wrinn; Edgar A. Diaz Miranda; Simone Eliza Facioni Guimaraes; Sergei Vasil'ev; Nikoli D. Ovodov; Jeremy F. Taylor; Robert D. Schnabel; Jared E. Decker

doi:10.64898/2026.11.04.764331

Evolutionary BiologybioRxivNov 6, 2026

Preprint

Genomic evidence of a single domestication origin for modern cattle

John L. Miraszek, Alan Cooper iD, Bastian Llamas, Kefei Chen iD, Kieren J. Mitchell iD, Ayla van Loenen iD, Holly Heiniger iD, Yassine Souilmi iD, Graham Gower iD, Harly J. Rowan iD, Patrick J. Wrinn, Edgar A. Diaz Miranda iD, Simone Eliza Facioni Guimaraes iD, Sergei Vasil'ev, Nikoli D. Ovodov, Jeremy F. Taylor iD, Robert D. Schnabel iD, Jared E. Decker iD

Abstract

Domesticated cattle occur as humpless taurine and humped zebu, historically explained as two independent domestications in the Fertile Crescent and Indus Valley. We question the validity of this model using whole-genome analyses of cattle and their wild relatives, including extinct aurochs. Zebu derives from admixture between domesticated taurine cattle and Indian aurochs and has elevated genomic diversity from an ancient introgression of a gaur-like or banteng-like population into Indian aurochs. We identify selective introgression in zebu from both 238 Indian aurochs-derived genes enriched for environmental adaptation, and 283 taurine-derived genes enriched for domestication loci. We suggest this process was shaped by polygenic selection. Modern cattle diversity traces from a single domestication event, followed by migration, wild introgression, and selection.

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