Understanding the Genetic Diversity of Livestock—An Essential Step for the Management and Improvement of Farmers’ Resources
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Date
2003-10-08
Authors
Mburu, D. N.
Kierstein, Gerold
Muigai, Anne W. T.
Jianlin, Han
Rege, J. Edward O
Hanotte, Olivier
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI),
Abstract
The last 10 years has seen an explosion of genetic studies aimed at improving the understanding
of the origins and genetic characteristics of livestock genetic resources. Although
the focus of most of this work has been Europe, remarkable progress has also been made
in the developing world, thanks to the support of development agencies. Since 1995, ILRI
has developed, in collaboration with National Agricultural Research Systems in developing
countries, a dynamic program on the molecular genetic characterisation of indigenous livestock
of Africa and Asia. Molecular diversity information on cattle, sheep, goat, chicken,
yak and OldWorld Camelidae are now partly available at country, regional and/or continental
levels. The results show that the origin of the present day livestock diversity is more
complex than previously thought with evidences for multiple origins or domestications.
Livestock also show different patterns of geographic distribution of diversity in relation
to the history of the domesticated species. These finding have direct applications to the
design of strategies aiming to conserve diversity to maximise future utilisation. We have
now the tools to understand the diversity of the genetic make-up of a livestock breed or
population with direct applications to on-farm and on-station breeding programs. Genetic
characterisation may also provide a genetic signature for breed uniqueness within the context
of intellectual property rights. Examples of applications of molecular diversity studies
in livestock conservation and utilisation are illustrated by results obtained from the ILRIled
research. We present three studies: (i) the identification of cattle diversity hotspots
and priority breeds for conservation in sub-Saharan Africa; (ii) dromedary breed identification
in Kenya; and (iii) the possible application of phylogenetic studies for improvement
of disease resistance in cattle and sheep populations.
Description
Keywords
Conservation strategy,, genetic characteristics,, phytogenetic studies