Data from: Using singleton densities to detect recent selection in Bos taurus

Many quantitative traits are subject to polygenic selection, where several
genomic regions undergo small, simultaneous changes in allele frequency
that collectively alter a phenotype. The widespread availability of genome
data, along with novel statistical techniques, has made it easier to
detect these changes. We apply one such method, the ‘Singleton Density
Score’, to the Holstein breed of Bos taurus to detect recent selection
(arising up to around 740 years ago). We identify several genes as
candidates for targets of recent selection, including some relating to
cell regulation, catabolic processes, neural-cell adhesion and immunity.
We do not find strong evidence that three traits that are important to
humans – milk protein content, milk fat content, and stature ­– have been
subject to directional selection. Simulations demonstrate that since B.
taurus recently experienced a population bottleneck, singleton numbers are
reduced limiting the power of SDS methods. These results inform on which
genes underlie recent genetic change in B. taurus, while providing
information on how polygenic selection can be best investigated in future
studies.