Domesticated species form a treasure-trove for molecular characterization of Mendelian traits by exploiting the specific genetic structure of these species in across-breed genome wide association studies

Domesticated species have been important models for understanding phenotypic consequences of selection and genetics in the past 150 years. Among the most famous examples, is the work by Charles Darwin on the breeding of fancy pigeons that formed one of the pillars of his theory of evolution. Unknown to Darwin, around the time of publication of ‘On the Origin of Species’, Gregor Mendel conducted experiments on domesticated pea plants that would form the basis of the science of genetics. Domesticated animals and plants basically constitute the kinds of long-term genetic experiments researchers usually can only dream about. In fact, domestication and selection for specific phenotypes have resulted in thousands of generations of human-mediated selection and change, bringing about countless distinct phenotypes.