Dublin Scientists Decode Giant Cattle DNA

Dublin scientists have for the fist time decoded the DNA of an extinct species of giant cattle that once roamed Europe for thousands of years.

The scientists from University College Dublin revealed today they had determined the first DNA genome sequence from the extinct beasts named aurochs, and published their findings in the scientific journal Plos ONE.

Aurochs are famously featured in the ancient cave paintings at Lascaux, France. Scienists believe they were much larger and more aggressive than their modern descendents.

Current estimates suggest they stood over six feet tall to the shoulder and weighed more than a ton.

Following this discovery, the scientists claim to be able to sequence the complete DNA genome of the aurochs within the next 12 months.

European domestic cattle are thought to have descended from aurochs that were domesticated at the dawn of agriculture in the region of the Near East known as the Fertile Crescent. The last recorded aurochs died in Poland in 1627.

“Our results demonstrate the incredible promise that next-generation DNA sequencing holds for archaeogenetics,” says Professor David MacHugh from the Animal Genomics Laboratory and Conway Institute at University College Dublin where the DNA sequencing was conducted.

“Once we complete the full nuclear genome sequencing, we can compare the DNA of the aurochs with that of modern domesticated cattle to identify genes associated with improved health, production and behavioural traits which have evolved since cattle were first domesticated almost 10,000 years ago,” he explains.

The team of scientists from University College Dublin, Trinity College Dublin, Oxford University, the University of Sheffield, and the University of Leeds, who were all working on the project, analysed DNA extracted from a well preserved aurochs leg bone discovered in a cave in Derbyshire, England. The bone is radiocarbon-dated as being approximately 6,500 years old.

“The bone is exceptionally well preserved due to its deposition in a cave system with a stable ambient temperature,” says the papers co-author Dr Ceiridwen Edwards from Oxford University and formerly of Trinity College Dublin’s School of Genetics and Microbiology where she conducted the initial research. “It has consistently yielded high-quality DNA.”

“We are within a year of sequencing the complete DNA genome of this extinct animal. All this has only recently become possible through new technologies which allow us to sequence billions of base pairs of DNA in a relatively short time,” Professor MacHugh added.

(DW)