Ancient DNA is helping find the first horse tamers, and a single gene is spawning a fierce debate in salmon conservation

Science Magazine Podcast

Science Podcast

News, News Commentary, Science

4.3 • 842 Ratings

🗓️ 10 May 2018

⏱️ 19 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Who were the first horse tamers? Online News Editor Catherine Matacic talks to Sarah Crespi about a new study that brings genomics to bear on the question. The hunt for the original equine domesticators has focused on Bronze Age people living on the Eurasian steppe. Now, an ancient DNA analysis bolsters the idea that a small group of hunter-gatherers, called the Botai, were likely the first to harness horses, not the famous Yamnaya pastoralists often thought to be the originators of the Indo-European language family. Sarah also talks with News Intern Katie Langin about her feature story on a single salmon gene that may separate spring- and fall-run salmon. Conservationists, regulators, and citizens are fiercely debating the role such a small bit of DNA plays in defining distinct populations. Is the spring run distinct enough to warrant protection? This week’s episode was edited by Podigy. Listen to previous podcasts. [Image: Jessica Piispanen/USFWS; Music: Jeffrey Cook] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	Morgan State University, a Baltimore, Maryland Carnegie R2 doctoral research institution,
0:05.0	offers more than 100 academic programs and awards degrees at the Baccliorate, Masters, and Doctoral Levels,
0:12.0	is furthering their mission of growing the future leading the world.
0:16.0	Morgan continues to address the needs and challenges of the modern urban environment.
0:20.0	With a four-year quadrupling of research, more than a dozen new doctoral programs,
0:25.7	and eight new National Centers of Excellence, Morgan is positioned to achieve Carnegie R1 designation in the next five years.
0:33.7	To learn more about Morgan and their ascension to R1, visit morgan.edu slash research.
0:46.1	Welcome to the science podcast for May 11, 2018.
0:50.0	I'm Sarah Crespi.
0:51.3	In this week's show, online news editor, Catherine Mattisick is here with new insights into
0:56.0	the history of horse domestication based on ancient human genomes.
1:02.5	And Katie Langan, science news intern, talks about how a single salmon gene thought to separate
1:08.6	spring and fall runs,
1:14.5	responding fierce debate over protecting endangered species.
1:21.2	Now we have Catherine Madisonik, an online news editor here at Science.
1:25.8	She's here with a story on the earliest horse domesticators.
1:26.4	Hi, Catherine.
1:27.0	Hi, Sarah.
1:29.2	The question we're going to ask and probably not answer to anyone's satisfaction is who first domesticated horses. And it is a tough question.
1:36.9	We need to know about the history of horse domestication, which can be figured out through their
1:41.1	genes somewhat and artifacts somewhat. And then also we need to
1:45.0	somehow link that horse history to human history through location, artifacts, and some genetics.
	...

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