Since June 2010 we have been working on the domestication history of the goose. At this point we are studying the population genetic structure and taxonomy of the ancestral species, the greylag goose Anser anser, with either two or three subspecies proposed in the literature (nominate, rubrirostris and possibly sylvestris). This study is further complicated by many releases of greylags in the Western Europe starting already in 1920s, so it will be necessary to collect pre-release material from the museums too.

The origin(s) of domestic geese and the subspecies domesticated are not known and we hope that comparison of mtDNA of the domestic breeds and the wild populations will be informative in this respect. Genome sequencing will be used to find tools for the next step in the project. Divergence in the nuclear genome between the greylags and the domestic geese as well as between different breeds will be studied. We are interested in finding out what makes a domestic goose. During the process of domestication the population has experienced bottlenecks and different traits, such as the size, colour or egg production, have been selected for. Later on, e.g. signs of selection can be located by genome-wide scans of genetic variation.

Morphology of the domestic breeds differs significantly from the wild greylags. We will use geometric morphometrics to study differences in the skeletons. This can potentially assist in separating domestic and wild geese bones in archaeological sites too.

The project is funded by the Academy of Finland (2010-2013).

Collaborators: Jeremy Searle, Cornell University, Keith Dobney, University of Aberdeen.

PhD student (co-supervisors in parenthesis):

Marja Heikkinen, Univ. Oulu: Domestication history of the goose (Searle, Dobney).

Publications on geese:

·        M. Ruokonen, T. Aarvak 2011. Typology revisited: historical taxa of the bean goose - pink-footed goose complex. Ardea 99: 103-112.

·        M. Ruokonen, T. Aarvak, R.K. Chesser, A-C Lundqvist, J. Merilä 2010. Increasing genetic diversity in a declining population. Molecular Ecology 19:

2408 - 2417.

·        M. Ruokonen, K. Litvin, T. Aarvak 2008. Taxonomy of the bean goose – pink-footed goose Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 48: 554-562.

·        M. Ruokonen, A.-C. Andersson, H. Tegelström 2007. Using historical captive stocks in conservation. The case of the lesser white-fronted goose. Conservation Genetics 8: 197-207.

·        M. Ruokonen, T. Aarvak, J. Madsen 2005. Colonisation history of the high-arctic pinkfooted goose Anser brachyrhynchus. Molecular Ecology 14: 171-178.

·        M. Ruokonen, L. Kvist, T. Aarvak, J. Markkola, V. Morozov, I.J. Øien, E. Syroechkovsky Jr., P. Tolvanen, J. Lumme 2004. Population genetic structure and conservation of the lesser white-fronted goose (Anser erythropus). Conservation Genetics 5: 501-512.

·        M. Ruokonen, L. Kvist 2002. Structure and sequence evolution of the avian mitochondrial control region. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 23: 422-432.

·        M. Ruokonen, L. Kvist, H. Tegelström, J. Lumme 2000. Hybrids, captive breeding and restocking of the Fennoscandian Lesser White-fronted Goose (Anser erythropus). Conservation Genetics 1: 277-283.

·        M. Ruokonen, L. Kvist, J. Lumme 2000. Close relatedness between mitochondrial DNA from seven Anser goose species. Journal of Evolutionary Biology 13: 532-540.