Genetic variation and relationship of six Indian sheep breeds adapted to the northwestern arid zone of Rajasthan

Abstract

This study illustrates the genetic diversity and relationships within and among six Indian sheep breeds of the northwestern arid region of Rajasthan, based on microsatellite markers. The range of allele diversity was 7.72-9.56, and gene diversity was 0.686-0.766, revealing that these breeds possessed substantial amounts of genetic diversity. Positive F (IS) values suggested a deficit of heterozygotes in all six breeds. Despite the declining status of the Marwari, Chokla, Jaisalmeri, Magra and Pugal breeds, an absence of a recent genetic bottleneck was evident from the data. The genetic differentiation estimate (F (ST) = 6.1%) suggested low levels of differentiation between the breeds. Genetic distance estimates revealed a close relationship between the Magra-Pugal and Nali-Jaisalmeri breed pairs. This information forms a framework for designing genetic management and conservation programs for these valuable ovine breeds.