Publications by authors named "Sahar Al-Bayatti"
Article Synopsis
- Researchers sequenced 470 genomes of domesticated river and swamp buffaloes and their wild ancestors to investigate the genetic factors influencing domestication and productivity in Asian water buffaloes.* -
- Wild swamp buffaloes maintain ancestral morphology, while river buffaloes show distinct traits, yet both have genomes that align closely with wild counterparts; genetic diversity varies significantly across regions.* -
- Key findings indicate that artificial selection has led to significant genetic adaptations in traits like reproduction, milk production, and coat color, highlighting how domestication affects evolutionary changes in these animals.*
Background: Indigenous domestic chicken represents a major source of protein for agricultural communities around the world. In the Middle East and Africa, they are adapted to hot dry and semi-dry areas, in contrast to their wild ancestor, the Red junglefowl, which lives in humid and sub-humid tropical areas. Indigenous populations are declining following increased demand for poultry meat and eggs, favouring the more productive exotic commercial breeds.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFDomesticated buffaloes have been integral to rice-paddy agro-ecosystems for millennia, yet relatively little is known about the buffalo genomics. Here, we sequenced and assembled reference genomes for both swamp and river buffaloes and we re-sequenced 230 individuals (132 swamp buffaloes and 98 river buffaloes) sampled from across Asia and Europe. Beyond the many actionable insights that our study revealed about the domestication, basic physiology and breeding of buffalo, we made the striking discovery that the divergent domestication traits between swamp and river buffaloes can be explained with recent selections of genes on social behavior, digestion metabolism, strengths and milk production.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFArticle Synopsis
- The Near East cattle, particularly in Iraq, are adapted to various environments and include four recognized breeds, with the Jenoubi in the south and Rustaqi in the drier regions.
- A study was conducted on the genetic diversity and selection signatures of these two breeds using advanced genotyping techniques, revealing that Jenoubi has more zebu ancestry while Rustaqi displays the highest genetic diversity.
- Analysis uncovered 68 candidate genes under positive selection related to immunity, environmental adaptations, and commercial traits, with a broader search identifying 220 genes of interest, highlighting the genetic richness of Iraqi cattle.