Population structure and domestication history of the Javan banteng

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Authors: Xi Wang, Sabhrina Gita Aninta, Genís Garcia‐Erill, Zilong Li, Anubhab Khan, Xiaodong Liu, Laura D. Bertola, Anik Budhi Dharmayanthi, Yulianto, Yonathan, Conor Rossi, Reagan Cauble-Sims
+12 more Benjamin D. Rosen, Darren E. Hagen, Michael P. Heaton, Timothy P. L. Smith, Johannes Arjen Lenstra, Nuno Filipe Gomes Martins, Mikkel‐Holger S. Sinding, Muhammad Agil, BAMBANG PURWANTARA, Christina Hvilsom, Gono Semiadi, Rasmus Heller
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References: 122

Abstract

= 0.14), relatively young (10,356 years), and accompanied by post-divergence gene flow. We found only weak signals of a domestication bottleneck between ∼6,100 and 2,900 years ago, and genetic diversity was, on average, higher in domestic than in wild banteng. Despite the soft domestication history, we found 36 candidate genes potentially under selection during domestication, with the leptin receptor gene (LEPR) of particular interest due to the robust selection signal across methods and its known association with metabolism, obesity, and energy homeostasis. Finally, genetic load estimation revealed that Bali cattle in Australia have high realized load, whereas Bali cattle from Bali have high masked load. These findings provide the first genomic insights into an understudied bovine that is critically endangered in its wild form and agriculturally important in its domesticated form.

Fields of Study & Subjects

Genetic and phenotypic traits in livestock Genetic diversity and population structure Genetic Mapping and Diversity in Plants and Animals

Publication details

Journal / source
Current Biology
Volume
36
Issue
2
Pages
458–473.e8
Publication date
1 January 2026
Language
EN