Genetic evidence for the origin of the agrimi goat (Capra aegagrus cretica)

Gila Kahila Bar-Gal, Patricia Smith, Eitan Tchernov, Charles Greenblatt, Pierre Ducos, Armelle Gardeisen, Liora Kolska Horwitz*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

23 Scopus citations

Abstract

The agrimi goat Capra aegagrus cretica is unique to Crete and its offshore islands. It has been identified as a sub-species of the wild bezoar goat Capra aegagrus aegagrus Erxleben, 1777, which it closely resembles in horn shape, body form and coloration. This classification has been disputed by some researchers who claim that the agrimi are feral goats, derived from early domestic stock brought to the island by the first Neolithic settlers. In order to clarify this issue, DNA analyses (cytochrome b and D loop sequences) were carried out on tissue of live and skeletonized agrimi and compared to sequences of wild and domestic caprines. Results conclusively show the agrimi to be a feral animal, that clades with domestic goats (Capra hircus) rather than with wild Asiatic bezoar. This study demonstrates that morphometric criteria do not necessarily reflect genetic affinities, and that the taxonomic classification of agrimi should be revised.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)369-377
Number of pages9
JournalJournal of Zoology
Volume256
Issue number3
DOIs
StatePublished - 2002
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • Agrimi
  • Bezoar goat
  • Capra aegagrus aegagrus
  • Capra aegagrus cretica
  • Crete
  • Cytochrome b
  • aDNA

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