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DNA analysis from ancient and old remains offers new tools to answer archaeozoological questions and investigate the origin of the genetic variability in domestic animal species. Molecular genetics techniques contribute to identify the species supporting classical osteological studies and to establish the relationship to modern species and breeds.Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) sequences are useful to reconstruct the history of maternal lineages comparing haplotype variations of present and old DNA samples. Mitochondrial data from modern cattle populations show a high diversity in Anatolia and in the Middle East supporting a near-Eastern matrilineal centre of origin. On the contrary in Europe a single family of mitochondrial haplotypes strongly dominates.A number of recent studies reported the successful recovery of ancient and old nuclear DNA (nuDNA) sequences. Such studies represent an important breakthrough, as nuDNA can be used for the characterisation of genetic loci directly involved in phenotypic...