Humans shaped genetic history of camels: study

For the first time, scientists have shed light on how the human's use of single-humped camels, who have been fundamental to the development of societies and transportation in deserts for over 3000 years, has shaped the animal's genetic diversity.
According to an international team of scientists, including researchers from the University of Nottingham in the UK, long-distance and back-and-forth movements in ancient camel caravan routes were important in shaping camel's genetic diversity.
Single-humped 'Arabian camels', popularly known as 'dromedaries' (Camelus dromedarius), have been fundamental to the development of human societies, providing food and transport in desert countries for over 3000 years, scientists said.

The dromedary continues to be a vital resource in trade and agriculture in hot, dry areas of the world, providing transport, milk and meat where other species would not survive, they said.
Scientists combined this with an examination of ancient DNA sequences from bone samples from early-domesticated dromedaries from 400-1870 AD and wild ones from 5,000-1,000 BC to show for the first time ever an historic genetic picture of the species.
"Our analysis of this extensive dataset actually revealed that there is very little defined population structure in modern dromedaries," said Oliver Hanotte from University of Nottingham.

"We believe this is a consequence of cross-continental back and forth movements along historic trading routes. Our results point to extensive gene flow which affects all regions except East Africa where dromedary populations have remained relatively isolated," Hanotte said.

In the current context of climate change and advancing desert landscapes, the animal's importance is increasing and there is new interest in the biology and reproduction of the species, researchers said.
They collected and analysed genetic information from a sample of 1,083 living dromedaries from 21 countries across the world.
"The dromedary has outperformed all other domesticated mammals, including the donkey, in arid environments and continues to provide essential commodities to millions of people living in marginal agro-ecological areas," said Faisal Almathen from King Faisal University in Saudi Arabia.
"The genetic diversity we have discovered, thanks to restocking from wild 'ghost' dromedary populations, is quite remarkable in the history of its domestication," Almathen said.

"It underlines the animal's potential to adapt sustainably to future challenges of expanding desert areas and global climate change," he added.
The findings were published in the journal PNAS.