ARIES Project Meeting

The research carried out within the scope of the ARIES project - The variation of Iberian domestic sheep: an archaeogenetics study - is multidisciplinary, bringing together researchers from the fields of Animal Genetics and Zooarchaeology. The ARIES project was designed to answer key questions about the genomic diversity, population structure and genetic improvement of native sheep breeds in the Iberian Peninsula. And, through the study of archaeological remains collected in this territory, to uncover crucial information about their origins, evolutionary trajectories and differentiation. ARIES began in March 2023 and is expected to last three years, so we felt it was appropriate to hold a meeting open to the entire community to communicate the results already achieved and promote the exchange of ideas among researchers, postgraduate students, breeder associations and anyone else interested in the subject.

We are confident that, due to their scope and relevance, the results of this project will have a significant impact, particularly on the definition of conservation programmes for these genetic resources. The identification of genomic markers associated with adaptation to ecosystems and disease resistance, together with molecular markers for productive traits, can be used in animal breeding to ensure the sustainable and continued use of these locally adapted genetic resources.

We also celebrate 15 years of Archaeogenetics research in Portugal, funded by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology, which allowed us to consolidate an important international collaborative network.