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Population genetic structure in the Holstein breed in Brazil

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Abstract

We evaluated the population genetic structure of the Holstein breed in Brazil through pedigree analysis with the aim of supporting genetic management of extant herds. We used data from genealogical records of 204,511 animals in farms from south and southeast Brazil. Pedigree records between 1943 and 2005 were divided into seven periods of 8 years to estimate the effective population size (N e ). N e varied during the study periods, ranging from 0.19 to 3016.25. There was an increase in the percentage of inbred animals over time, from 0.18 to 5.0 %. However, this figure may be an underestimate due to the low completeness of pedigree, primarily related to paternal pedigree. The effective number of founders (fe) was 473 animals and ancestors (fa) was 471. The genetic contribution of 260 ancestors (founders or not) accounted for 50 % of the genetic variability in the population. The average relatedness coefficient (AR) and inbreeding coefficient indicate that the Holstein breed in Brazil is being effectively managed, despite a moderate founder effect and the low number of animals that are responsible for the population variance.

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Acknowledgments

The authors would like to acknowledge the Brazilian Association of Holstein Breeders (ABCBRH) for the granting of the data and to the technical experts of the Genealogical Registry Service (SRG) for the data collection of this information that made possible the development of this study.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Universidade Estadual do Sudoeste da Bahia, Programa de Pós Graduação em Zootecnia, Itapetinga, BA, 45700-000, Brazil

    Mário Henrique Magalhães Araújo da Silva

  2. Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Estadual do Sudoeste da Bahia, Rua José Moreira Sobrinho, s/n, Jequié, BA, 45206-190, Brazil

    Carlos Henrique Mendes Malhado, José Lauro Costa Jr & Paulo Luiz Souza Carneiro

  3. Department of Animal Science, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Av. Bento Gonçalves, 7712, Cep 91540-000, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil

    Jaime Araujo Cobuci

  4. Embrapa Gado de Leite, Rua Eugênio do Nascimento, 610, Juiz de Fora, MG, 36038-330, Brazil

    Claudio Napolis Costa

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  1. Mário Henrique Magalhães Araújo da Silva
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  2. Carlos Henrique Mendes Malhado
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  3. José Lauro Costa Jr
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  4. Jaime Araujo Cobuci
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  5. Claudio Napolis Costa
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  6. Paulo Luiz Souza Carneiro
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Jaime Araujo Cobuci.

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The manuscript does not contain clinical studies or patient data. Animal welfare and use committee approval was not necessary for this study because data were obtained from preexisting databases.

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The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

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Magalhães Araújo da Silva, M.H., Malhado, C.H.M., Costa, J.L. et al. Population genetic structure in the Holstein breed in Brazil. Trop Anim Health Prod 48, 331–336 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11250-015-0956-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11250-015-0956-7

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