Data from: On the origin of a domesticated species: identifying the parent population of Russian silver foxes (Vulpes vulpes)

The foxes at Novosibirsk, Russia, are the only population of domesticated
foxes in the world. These domesticated foxes originated from farm-bred
silver foxes (Vulpes vulpes), whose genetic source is unknown. In the
present study, we examined the origin of the domesticated strain of foxes
and two other farm-bred fox populations (aggressive and unselected)
maintained in Novosibirsk. To identify the phylogenetic origin of these
populations we sequenced two regions of mitochondrial DNA, cytochrome b
and d-loop, from 24 Novosibirsk foxes (eight foxes from each population)
and compared them with corresponding sequences of native red foxes from
Europe, Asia, Alaska and Western Canada, Eastern Canada, and the Western
Mountains of the USA. We identified seven cytochrome b–d-loop haplotypes
in Novosibirsk populations, four of which were previously observed in
Eastern Canada. The three remaining haplotypes differed by one or two base
change from the most common haplotype in Eastern Canada. ΦST analysis
showed significant differentiation between Novosibirsk populations and red
fox populations from all geographic regions except Eastern Canada. No
haplotypes of Eurasian origin were identified in the Novosibirsk
populations. These results are consistent with historical records
indicating that the original breeding stock of farm-bred foxes originated
from Prince Edward Island, Canada. Mitochondrial DNA data together with
historical records indicate two stages in the selection of domesticated
foxes: the first includes captive breeding for approximately 50 years with
unconscious selection for behaviour; the second corresponds to > 50
years of additional intensive selection for tame behaviour.