- 1Departamento
de Genética, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Genética e Biologia
Molecular, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS,
Brasil.
- 2Centro de Bioinvestigaciones, CITNOBA,
Universidad Nacional del Noroeste de la Provincia de Buenos Aires,
Buenos Aires, Argentina.
- 3Instituto de Genética Ewald Favret, CICVyA-INTA CC 25, Castelar, Argentina.
- 4Departamento
de Zoologia, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biologia Animal, Universidade
Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brasil.
- 5Instituto de Alta Investigación, Universidad de Tarapacá, Arica, Chile.
Abstract
Crespa goats are phenotypically similar to the Angora
breed, and are traditionally reared in small, low-tech farms in
southernmost Brazil. Whether they represent degenerated remnants of pure
Angora goats
or result from foreign breeds introduced during colonial times and
recently mixed with commercial breeds is unknown. Since the degree of
relatedness of Crespa in relation to other goats is completely unknown,
we performed a comparative assessment of the genetic similarity between
Crespa and foreign commercial breeds reared in the region (Angora, Alpine, Anglo-Nubian, Boer, and Saanen), particularly the Angora.
We used 11 microsatellites to score alleles in 148 individuals and
performed a Bayesian assignment test, which revealed six clusters (K =
6; Ln likelihood = -5047.6). In addition, a segment of the mitochondrial
DNA (mtDNA) control region was sequenced to investigate the relatedness
of Crespa goats to Portuguese autochthonous breeds (Algarvia, Bravia,
Charnequeira, Serpentina, and Serrana). The origin of the Crespa breed
could not be ascertained from the mtDNA, but it does not only descend
from the Angora.
It is probably related to other introduced and autochthonous Portuguese
breeds, in particular the Algarvia. Therefore, our results indicate
that this distinctive source of genetic diversity is partly a remnant of
animals that were introduced during the colonial period. By recognizing
it as genetically distinct, we provide further support for the
protection of this particular gene pool.
- [PubMed - in process]
Free full text
