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All of the world's domesticated horses, whether racing champions or equestrian club mates, have their origins in the Don Valley in southwest Russia, but the exact chronology of their widespread integration into human societies still divides the scientific community. A study published on June 6 in the journal Nature shows that the rise of domesticated horses only began around 4,200 years ago. This date marks a new era in human history when horses revolutionized the speed of travel and exchanges between peoples. This research was coordinated by a team from the CNRS and the Université Toulouse III - Paul Sabatier, led by Ludovic Orlando at the Centre d'anthropobiologie et de génomique de Toulouse1 , and involved 133 scientists from 113 institutions around the world.

The intestinal microbiota is a collection of billions of microorganisms that forms after birth in humans and animals. While we know that the environment, and in particular diet, has a major influence on the formation and composition of the microbiota, the influence of genetics is still debated. For the first time, scientists at INRAE have demonstrated experimentally, in pigs, that the formation of intestinal microbiota is partly heritable. They selected 2 lines of pigs for 2 types of intestinal microbiota characterized by their bacterial composition. The results, published in the journal Microbiome, show that the frequency of each type of microbiota increases from generation to generation in each line. Another finding is that, for one type of microbiota, selection favors faster growth in piglets. These results open up new prospects for taking intestinal microbiota into account in animal selection schemes for more sustainable and resilient breeding.

Wild bees and honeybees are seeing their populations eroded by the many pressures they face. Scientists are continuing their analysis of these multiple pressures, while developing applied research to meet the need for operational solutions. New research questions emerge! Work carried out within the GABI unit shows that selection for classic beekeeping production traits and colony resilience traits is feasible under rearing conditions, and would be effective.