DOI: 10.5061/dryad.17gk0
title: Data from: Genetic footprints of Iberian cattle in America 500 years after the arrival of Columbus

description: BACKGROUND: American Creole cattle presumably descend from animals
 imported from the Iberian Peninsula during the period of colonization and
 settlement, through different migration routes, and may have also suffered
 the influence of cattle directly imported from Africa. The introduction of
 European cattle, which began in the 18th century, and later of Zebu from
 India, has threatened the survival of Creole populations, some of which
 have nearly disappeared or were admixed with exotic breeds. Assessment of
 the genetic status of Creole cattle is essential for the establishment of
 conservation programs of these historical resources. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL
 FINDINGS: We sampled 27 Creole populations, 39 Iberian, 9 European and 6
 Zebu breeds. We used microsatellite markers to assess the origins of
 Creole cattle, and to investigate the influence of different breeds on
 their genetic make-up. The major ancestral contributions are from breeds
 of southern Spain and Portugal, in agreement with the historical ports of
 departure of ships sailing towards the Western Hemisphere. This Iberian
 contribution to Creoles may also include some African influence, given the
 influential role that African cattle have had in the development of
 Iberian breeds, but the possibility of a direct influence on Creoles of
 African cattle imported to America can not be discarded. In addition to
 the Iberian influence, the admixture with other European breeds was minor.
 The Creoles from tropical areas, especially those from the Caribbean, show
 clear signs of admixture with Zebu. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Nearly five
 centuries since cattle were first brought to the Americas, Creoles still
 show a strong and predominant signature of their Iberian ancestors. Creole
 breeds differ widely from each other, both in genetic structure and
 influences from other breeds. Efforts are needed to avoid their extinction
 or further genetic erosion, which would compromise centuries of selective
 adaptation to a wide range of environmental conditions.
description: Genotypes
 v1Microsatellite genotypes
 from 81 cattle populations typed with 19 markers. British and Continental
 European; Blue: Indian Zebu. SPANISH. Betizu (BET), Toro de Lidia (TL),
 Menorquina (MEN), Alistana (ALS), Sayaguesa (SAY), Tudanca (TUD),
 Asturiana de los Valles (ASV), Asturiana de las Montañas (ASM), Retinta
 (RET), Morucha (MOR), Avileña (AVI), Pirenaica (PIRM), Rubia Gallega
 (RGA), Mallorquina (MALL), Monchina (MON), Serrana de Teruel (STE), Parda
 de Montaña (PM), Bruna de los Pirineos (BRP), Pasiega (PAS), Berrenda en
 Colorado (BC), Berrenda en Negro (BN), Marismeña (MAR), Pajuna (PAJ),
 Negra Andaluza (NAN), Vaca Canaria (VCA), Vaca Palmera (PAL); PORTUGUESE.
 Alentejana (ALT), Arouquesa (ARO), Barrosã (BARR), Brava de Lide (BRAV),
 Cachena (CACH), Garvonesa (GARV), Marinhoa (MARI), Maronesa (MARO),
 Mertolenga (MERT), Minhota (MINH), Mirandesa (MIRA), Preta (PRET), Ramo
 Grande (RG); CREOLE. Guabalá (GUA), Guaymí (GY), Texas Longhorn (TLH),
 Criollo Poblano (CPO), Criollo de Baja California (CBC), Criollo de
 Chihuahua (CHU), Criollo de Nayarit (CNY), Criollo de Chiapas (CHI),
 Blanco Orejinegro (BON), Caqueteño (CAQ), Sanmartinero (SM), Romosinuano
 (RMS), Costeño con Cuernos (CCC), Chino Santandereano (CH), Velasquez
 (VEL), Lucerna (LUC), Hartón del Valle (HV), Criollo Casanareño (CC),
 Criollo Ecuatoriano (EC), Criollo Uruguayo (CUR), Pampa Chaqueño (PA),
 Criollo Pilcomayo (PIL), Criollo Argentino (CARG), Criollo Patagónico
 (PAT), Caracú (CAR), Cubano (CUB), Siboney (SIB); ZEBU: Gyr (GYR), Brahman
 (BRH), Sindi (SIN), Guzerat (GUZ), Nelore (NEL), Zebu Cubano (CUZ); Other
 EUROPEAN. Friesian (FRI), Hereford (HER), Brown Swiss (BSW), Aberdeen
 Angus (AA), British White (BWC), Charolais (CHAR), Jersey (JER), Limousin
 (LIM), Shorthorn (SH).Alele
 frequencies