Guangxi Province, in the southwest of China, is one of the putative migratory corridors or domestication centers for swamp buffalo. In this study, we investigated the evolutionary status of two Guangxi native buffalo breeds (Fuzhong buffalo, n = 15; Xilin buffalo, n = 25) based on the complete mitogenome sequencing. Our results revealed rich genetic diversity in the two buffalo breeds. We detected five haplogroups (SA1, SA2, SB1, SB2, SB3) in the two Guangxi buffalo breeds, and the haplogroup SB3 in the Fuzhong buffalo. Our results showed that the haplogroup SA1 was associated with the major domestication event that involved population expansion in Guangxi buffalo. In conclusion, our findings revealed a high level of maternal genetic diversity and the phylogenetic pattern of the two Guangxi buffalo breeds.
Keywords: buffalo; genetic diversity; maternal origin; mtDNA.