MtDNA D‐loop Diversity in Alpine Cattle during the Bronze Age

The Bronze Age in Europe is characterized by major socio‐economic changes, including
certain aspects of animal husbandry. In the Alpine region archaeozoological data, though not very
abundant, reveal that cattle were the most important domestic animals in this time period. They
were probably used differently in the lowlands than at higher altitude, traction became more
important and people increasingly exploited them for dairy products rather than for meat. Thus, a
crucial question in this context is whether these major events are accompanied by changes in genetic
diversity of cattle. Here we report partial mtDNA d‐loop data (320 bp) obtained by PCR from 40
alpine cattle excavated at different sites in South Tyrol, Italy, and Grisons, Switzerland. Most cattle
belong to the main European taurine T3 haplogroup, but a few members of T2 and Q haplogroups
were identified. Moreover, genetic diversity measures and population genetic statistics indicate
different cattle histories at different sites, including bottlenecks and potential admixture. However,
Bronze Age Alpine cattle appear to be linked to modern rural cattle mainly from Italy.