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. 2022 Jan 20;12(3):249.
doi: 10.3390/ani12030249.

Analyses of Genetic Diversity in the Endangered "Berrenda" Spanish Cattle Breeds Using Pedigree Data

Affiliations

Analyses of Genetic Diversity in the Endangered "Berrenda" Spanish Cattle Breeds Using Pedigree Data

Rafael González-Cano et al. Animals (Basel). .

Abstract

Pedigree analyses of two endangered cattle breeds were performed in order to study the structure and the genetic variability in their populations. Pedigree data were analyzed from 12,057 individuals belonging to the "Berrenda en Negro" cattle breed (BN) and 20,389 individuals belonging to the "Berrenda en Colorado" cattle breed (BC) that were born between 1983 and 2020. BN and BC reference populations (RP) were set up by 2300 and 3988 animals, respectively. The generation interval in BN and BC reference populations was equal to 6.50 and 6.92 years, respectively. The pedigree completeness level was 82.76% in BN and 79.57% in BC. The inbreeding rates were 4.5% in BN and 3.4% in BC, respectively. The relationship among animals when they were born in different herds was 1.8% in BN and 5% in BC; these values increased to 8.5% and 7.7%, respectively when comparing animals that were born in the same herd. The effective number of founding herds was 23.9 in BN and 60.9 in BC. Number of ancestors needed to explain 50% of genes pool in the whole population was 50 and 101, in BN and in BC, respectively. The effective population size based on co-ancestries was 92.28 in BN and 169.92 in BC. The genetic variability has been maintained in both populations over time and the results of this study suggest that measures to promote the conservation of the genetic variability in these two breeds would go through for the exchange of breeding animals among farms and for monitoring the genetic contributions before implementing any selective action.

Keywords: conservation; genealogical data; genetic contribution; inbreeding; native resources.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Cows of “Berrenda en Negro” and “Berrenda en Colorado” cattle breeds (rights owned by ANABE).
Figure 2
Figure 2
Number of registered males (M) and females (F) in the Berrenda en Negro (BN) and Berrenda en Colorado (BC) studbooks by birth date and number of herds.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Age of the “Berrenda en Negro” (BN) and “Berrenda en Colorado” (BC) parents when their registered off-spring are born.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Relative frequency in the number of descendants per (a) sire and (b) dam in both “berrenda” breeds.
Figure 5
Figure 5
Average percentage of known ancestors per generation in BN and BC whole populations and in the reference populations of the “Berrenda en Negro” (BN) and “Berrenda en Colorado” (BC) cattle breeds (born animals between 2013 and 2020).
Figure 6
Figure 6
Average percentage of known ancestors per complete generations (Sire and Dam = parents; GD = grandam; GS = grandsire; GGD = great-grandam; GGS = great-grandsire) in the Berrenda en Negro and Berrenda en Colorado pedigrees; (a) whole populations and (b) reference populations.
Figure 7
Figure 7
Average inbreeding rates (%) in herds, males (M) and females (F) from reference populations of “Berrenda en Negro” (BN) and “Berrenda en Colorado” (BC) cattle breeds.
Figure 8
Figure 8
Average relationship (AR) coefficients inbreeding rates (%) in herds, males (M) and females (F) from reference populations of “Berrenda en Negro” (BN) and “Berrenda en Colorado” (BC) cattle breeds.
Figure 9
Figure 9
Average inbreeding values (F), average individual increase of inbreeding (∆F) and average equivalent generations (GenEqu) in the “Berrenda en Negro” (BN) and “Berrenda en Colorado” (BC) studbooks per year of birth of the individuals belonging to the reference populations.
Figure 10
Figure 10
Evolution per year of birth of the average Individual rate of inbreeding (F) and the Effective population size (Ne) in “Berrenda en Negro” (BN) and “Berrenda en Colorado” (BC) whole populations.

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