The role that nature conservation can play to mitigate the spread of future infectious diseases

The emergence of infectious diseases is reviewed highlighting the potential role played by main environmental anthropogenic disturbances as, deforestation, land-use change, human-induced climate change, biodiversity loss and the illegal wildlife trade. Ultimately, it is plausible that the human impact on the biosphere could be the root cause of these emerging diseases, and that economic globalization, population growth and landscape anthropization might increase the likelihood of the emergence of novel zoonoses. This pattern bears similarities to phenomena that occurred during the Neolithic period with the emergence of agriculture and cattle domestication. Still today such phenomena could be accelerated by the vastly increased traffic of people and goods. Finally, we argue in favour of strong policies and actions aiming to mitigate the human impact on natural ecosystems as a key strategy to prevent future zoonoses.

The social reproduction of labour in the context of the work of women: Past and present

After the primary role that Gordon Childe assigned to women in prehistory in both the beginnings of agriculture and cattle-domestication, women have been placed at an inferior position in both the realms of production and consumption. Even when they were employed in factories after the Industrial Revolution, they were paid much lower wages than men workers. As Marx pointed out, however, wages have to cover the entire family expenses, and, on this count, wage-levels in colonial countries, even after ‘decolonisation’, have not reached appropriate levels. In colonial India, owing both to tribute and free trade, Indian labouring women, for example, spinners, suffered very grievous hardship. Today it is essential that poverty-lines should be raised and minimum wages adjusted to subsistence needs.

Whole genome studies of origin, selection and adaptation of the Russian cattle breeds

Our review presents several recent studies on the genetic history and signatures of selection in genomes of the native Russian cattle breeds. Most of these works are not easily accessible for the Russian-speaking audience. We describe the origins of appearance of the Russian cattle breeds from the genetics perspective. We point to the links between most of the Russian breeds with the taurine breeds of the European origin and for some Russian breeds with the breeds of the Asian origin. We describe major phylogenetic clusters of the Russian breeds and point to those that still maintain their unique genetics, meaning that their preservation is a priority. In addition, we review the results of the search for signatures of selection in genomes of the Russian cattle breeds. Some unique signatures of selection present in the genomes of so-called “turano-mongolian” cattle (i. e. the Yakut cattle) are described which allowed the Yakut cattle to adapt to harsh environments found above the Polar Circle. Signatures of selection which could help other cattle breeds of the Russian origin to adapt to various climatic condition of the Russian Federation are reviewed. The Russian cattle genomes also contain known signatures of selection related to cattle domestication about 8–10 thousand years ago. The most profound ones include genes related to changes of the coat colour. This phenotype in many cases could be related to the distinction of the first domesticated populations and lead to the formation of so-called land races (primitive breeds). Whole-genome association studies of Russian cattle breeds pointed to a novel gene which could be related to the “white-faced” phenotype and to a gene which is related to body temperature support under the acute cold stress. The data presented in our review could be used for identification of genetic markers to focus on in future efforts on designing new highly productive cattle breeds adapted to climates of the Russian Federation and other countries with similar climates.

Genetic analysis of Thai cattle reveals a Southeast Asian indicine ancestry

Cattle commonly raised in Thailand have characteristics ofBos indicus(zebu). We do not know when or how cattle domestication in Thailand occurred, and so questions remain regarding their origins and relationships to other breeds. We obtained genome-wide SNP genotypic data of 28 bovine individuals sampled from four regions: North (Kho-Khaolampoon), Northeast (Kho-Isaan), Central (Kho-Lan) and South (Kho-Chon) Thailand. These regional varieties have distinctive traits suggestive of breed-like genetic variations. From these data, we confirmed that all four Thai varieties areBos indicusand that they are distinct from other indicine breeds. Among these Thai cattle, a distinctive ancestry pattern is apparent, which is the purest within Kho-Chon individuals. This ancestral component is only present outside of Thailand among other indicine breeds in Southeast Asia. From this pattern, we conclude that a uniqueBos indicusancestor originated in Southeast Asia, and native Kho-Chon Thai cattle retain the signal of this ancestry with limited admixture of other bovine ancestors.