Ancient DNA Evidence for the Transition from Wild to Domestic Status in Neolithic Goats: A Case Study from the Site of Abu Gosh, Israel

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Abstract
In order to determine whether the morphometric criteria used for separating wild and domestic caprines are expressed at the genetic level, Capra bones from the Neolithic site of Abu Gosh, located 12 km west of Jerusalem, Israel were examined. Archaeological excavations at the site revealed the presence of two occupations; the Pre-Pottery Neolithic B (PPNB) dated to circa 9500-8000 bp , and the Pottery Neolithic (PN) dated to circa 7500-5500 bp . The quantity of goat remains in the PPNB assemblage and their morphometric characteristics suggest that they represent wild animals undergoing an early phase of domestication. In contrast, the faunal remains from the PN levels are predominantly those of domestic goats ( Capra hircus ). For the purpose of examining the relationship between morphometry and genetics, mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) was extracted and cytochrome b and D-loop sequences run on a small sample of caprine bones from both the PPNB and PN levels at the site. Overall, the ancient DNA findings agreed with those obtained from the morphometric studies and successfully distinguished wild from domestic goats. However, two species of wild goat--the bezoar goat ( Capra aegagrus ) and the Nubian ibex ( Capra ibex nubiana )--that were not differentiated on the basis of the morphometric analysis, were identified on the basis of their mtDNA sequences. This suggests that post-cranial morphometric criteria for distinguishing between these two species still need to be refined. The findings also show that at Abu Gosh the domestic goat, C. hircus , was established by the PN period, and that the genetic changes that accompanied the shift in status from wild to domestic goats occurred within a relatively short period of time; circa 2000 years.