TY - JOUR
T1 - Genetic evidence for the origin of the agrimi goat (Capra aegagrus cretica)
AU - Bar-Gal, Gila Kahila
AU - Smith, Patricia
AU - Tchernov, Eitan
AU - Greenblatt, Charles
AU - Ducos, Pierre
AU - Gardeisen, Armelle
AU - Horwitz, Liora Kolska
PY - 2002
Y1 - 2002
N2 - 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.
AB - 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.
KW - Agrimi
KW - Bezoar goat
KW - Capra aegagrus aegagrus
KW - Capra aegagrus cretica
KW - Crete
KW - Cytochrome b
KW - aDNA
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0036123162&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1017/S0952836902000407
DO - 10.1017/S0952836902000407
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AN - SCOPUS:0036123162
SN - 0952-8369
VL - 256
SP - 369
EP - 377
JO - Journal of Zoology
JF - Journal of Zoology
IS - 3
ER -