Skip to main content
Log in

Genetic diversity of Ovis aries populations near domestication centers and in the New World

  • Published:
Genetica Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Domestic sheep in Kazakhstan may provide an interesting source of genetic variability due to their proximity to the center of domestication and the Silk Route. Additionally, those breeds have never been compared to New World sheep populations. This report compares genetic diversity among five Kazakhstan (KZ) and 13 United States (US) sheep breeds (N = 442) using 25 microsatellite markers from the FAO panel. The KZ breeds had observed and expected measures of heterozygosity greater than 0.60 and an average number of alleles per locus of 7.8. In contrast, US sheep breeds had observed heterozygosity ranged from 0.37 to 0.62 and had an average number of alleles of 5.7. A Bayesian analysis indicated there were two primary populations (K = 2). Surprisingly, the US breeds were near evenly split between the two clusters, while all of the KZ breeds were placed in one of the two clusters. Pooling breeds within country of sample origin showed KZ and US populations to have similar levels of expected heterozygosity and the average number of alleles per locus. The results of breeds pooled within country suggest that there was no difference between countries for these diversity measures using this set of neutral markers. This finding suggests that populations’ geographically isolated from centers of domestication can be more diverse than previously thought, and as a result, conservation strategies can be adjusted accordingly. Furthermore, these results suggest there may be limited need for countries to alter the protocols for trade and exchange of animal genetic resources that are in place today, since no one population has a unique set of private alleles.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Blackburn HD, Gollin D (2009) Animal genetic resource trade flows: the utilization of newly imported breeds and gene flow of imported animals in the United States of America. Livestock Sci 120:240–247

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Blackburn HD, Paiva SR, Wildeus S, Getz W, Waldron D, Stobart R, Bixby D, Purdy PH, Welsh C, Spiller S, Brown M (2011) Genetic structure and diversity among US sheep breeds: identification of the major gene pools. J Anim Sci 89:2336–2348

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bruford M, Bradley D, Luikart G (2003) DNA markers reveal the complexity of livestock domestication. Nat Rev Genet 4:900–910

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Convention on Biological Diversity (2011) The nagoya protocol on access and benefit-sharing. http://www.cbd.int/abs/. Accessed July 2011

  • Evanno G, Regnaut S, Goudet J (2005) Detecting the number of clusters of individuals using the software STRUCTURE: a simulation study. Mol Ecol 4(8):2611–2620

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Excoffier L, Laval G, Schneider S (2005) Arlequin ver. 3.0: an integrated software package for population genetics data analysis. Evol Bioinform Online 1:47–50

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Falconer DS, Mackay TFC (1996) Introduction to quantitative genetics, 4th edn. Prentice Hall, England 464

    Google Scholar 

  • FAO (1989) Animal genetic resources of the USSR. FAO Animal Production and Health Paper 65. FAO, Rome, p 516

  • FAO (2004) Secondary guidelines for development of national farm animal genetic resource management plans: measurement of domestic animal diversity (MoDAD): recommended microsatellite markers. FAO, Rome

    Google Scholar 

  • FAO (2007) Global plan of action for animal genetics resources and the interlaken declaration. FAO, Rome

    Google Scholar 

  • FAO (2011) http://faostat.fao.org. Accessed Feb 2011

  • Goudet J (2002) FSTAT, a program to estimate and test gene diversities and fixation indices (version 2.9. 3.2). University of Lausanne, Department of Ecology and Evolution, Lausanne, Switzerland

  • Groeneveld L, Lenstra J, Eding H, Toro M, Scherf B, Pilling D, Negrini R, Finlay E, Jainlin H, Roeneveld E, Weigend S, the GLOBALDIV Consortium (2010) Genetic diversity in farm animals–a review. Anim Genet 41(Suppl. 1):6–31

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Guo J, Du L, Ma Y, Guan W, Li H, Zhao Q, Li X, Rao S (2005) A novel maternal lineage revealed in sheep (Ovis aries). Anim Genet 36:331–336

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Gutiérrez JP, Royo LJ, Álvarez I, Goyache F (2005) MolKin v2.0: a computer program for genetic analysis of populations using molecular coancestry information. J Hered 96:718–721

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Hedrick PW (2011) Genetics of populations, 4th edn. Jones and Bartlett, Sudbury, p 675

    Google Scholar 

  • Huson DH, Bryant D (2006) Application of phylogenetic networks in evolutionary studies. Mol Biol Evol 23(2):254–267

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lawson-Handley LJ, Byrne K, Santucci F, Townsend S, Taylor M, Bruford M, Hewitt G (2007) Genetic structure of European sheep breeds. Heredity 99:620–631

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Loftus RT, Ertugrul O, Harba AH, El-Barody MAA, MacHugh DE, Bradley DG (1999) A microsatellite survey of cattle from a centre of origin: the Near East. Mol Ecol 8:2015–2022

    Google Scholar 

  • McKay SD, Schnabel R, Murdoch B, Matukumalli L, Aerts J, Coppieters W, Crews D, Dias Neto E, Gill C, Gao C, Mannen H, Wang Z, Van Tassell C, Williams J, Taylor J, Moore S (2008) An assessment of population structure in eight cattle breeds using a whole genome SNP panel. BMC Genet 9:37. doi:10.1186/1471-2156-9-37

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Medeubekov KU, Nartbayev A, Abishev B, Berus V, Kanapin K, Terentyev V, Ombaev A, Aryngaziev S, Netyaga MO, Trayisov B, Esentaev E, Kineev M (2008) Small ruminant breeds of Kazakhstan. In: Iniguez L, Mueller J (eds) Characterization of small ruminant breeds in central Asia, the caucasus. International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA), Aleppo, p 416

    Google Scholar 

  • Ozerov M, Marzanov N, Tapio M, Feizullaev F, Burabaev A, Amerkhanov Kh, Petrov S, Marzanova L, Gostishchev S, Kantanen J (2008) Microsatellite characterization of closely related fine-wool sheep breeds. Russian Agricultural Science 34:343–347

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Paiva SR, Blackburn H, da Mariante AS (2010) Meta-analysis of microsatellite data from US and Brazil sheep breeds. 9th world congress genetics applied livestock production, Leipzig, vol 660, pp 1–4

  • Paiva SR, da Mariante AS, Blackburn H (2011) Combining US and Brazilian microsatellite data for a meta-analysis of sheep (Ovis aries) breed diversity: facilitating the FAO global plan of action for conserving animal genetic resources. J Heredity (in press)

  • Peakall R, Smouse PE (2006) GENALEX 6: genetic analysis in Excel. Population genetic software for teaching and research. Mol Ecol Notes 6:288–295

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pereira F, Davis S, Pereira L, McEvoy B, Bradley D, Amorim A (2006) Genetic signatures of a Mediterranean influence in Iberian Peninsula sheep husbandry. Mol Biol Evol 23:1470–1476

    Google Scholar 

  • Peter C, Buford M, Perez T, Dalamitra S, Hewitt G, Erhart G, the ECONOGENE Consortium (2007) Genetic diversity and subdivision of 57 European and Middle-Eastern sheep breeds. Anim Genet 38:37–44

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Porter V, Mason I (2002) Mason’s world dictionary of livestock breeds, types, and varieties. CABI, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Pritchard JK, Stephans M, Donnelly P (2000) Inference of population structure using multilocus genotype data. Genetics 155:945–959

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Rezaei HR, Naderi S, Chintauan-Marquier I, Taberlet P, Virk A, Naghash H, Rioux D, Kaboli M, Pompanon F (2010) Evolution and taxonomy of the wild species of the genus Ovis (Mammalia, Artiodactyla, Bovidae). Mol Phylogenet Evol 54:315–326

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Rosenberg NA (2004) DISTRUCT: a program for the graphical display of population structure. Mol Ecol Notes 4:137–138

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Slatkin M (1985) Rare alleles as indicators of gene flow. Evolution 39:53–65

    Google Scholar 

  • Sulaiman Y, Wu C, Zhao C (2011) Phylogeny of 19 indigenous sheep populations in Northwestern China inferred from mitochondrial DNA control region. Asian J Anim Vet Adv 6:71–79

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Szpiech ZA, Jakobsson M, Rosenberg NA (2008) ADZE: a rarefaction approach for counting alleles private to combinations of populations. Bioinformatics 24:2498–2504

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Tapio M, Miceikiene I, Vilkki J, Kantanen J (2003) Comparison of microsatellite and blood protein diversity in sheep: inconsistencies in fragmented breeds. Mol Ecol 12:2045–2056

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Tapio M, Ozerov M, Tapio I, Toro M, Marzanov N, Cinkulov M, Goncharenko G, Kiselyova T, Murawski M, Kantanen J (2010) Microsatellite-based genetic diversity and population structure of domestic sheep in northern Eurasia. BMC Genet 11:76

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Tomiuk J, Loeschcke V (1995) Genetic identity combining mutation and drift. Heredity 74:607–615

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wagner M, Wu X, Tarasov P, Aisha A, Ramsey C, Schultz M, Schmidt-Schultz T, Gresky J (2011) Radiocarbon-dated archaeological record of early first millennium B.C. mounted pastoralists in the Kunlun Mountains, China. PNAS 108:15733–15738

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Wang X, Ma Y, Chen H, Guan W (2007) Genetic and phylogenetic studies of Chinese native sheep breeds (Ovis aries) based on mtDNA D-loop sequences. Small Rumin Res 72:232–236

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wood RJ, Orel V (2001) Genetic prehistory in selective breeding: a prelude to mendel. Oxford University Press, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Young LD (1992) Effects of Duroc, Meishan, Fengjing and Minzhu boars on productivity of mates and growth of first cross progeny. J Anim Sci 70:2020–2029

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Zeder MA (2008) Domestication and early agriculture in the Mediterranean Basin: origins, diffusion, and impact. PNAS 105:11597–11604

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to H. D. Blackburn.

Additional information

Mention of a trade name or proprietary product does not constitute a guaranty or warranty by the USDA and does not imply approval to the exclusion of other products that may be suitable. USDA, Agricultural Research Service, Northern Plains Area, is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer. All agency services are available without discrimination.

Appendices

Appendix 1

See Table 4.

Table 4 Genotyped loci, their chromosome, number of alleles per locus and percent missing data per locus

Appendix 2

See Table 5.

Table 5 Genetic distances for 18 sheep breeds (abbreviations as in Table 1) with distances <0.10 in italic and >0.35 in bold using Dtl (Tomiuk and Loeschcke 1995)

Appendix 3

See Fig. 5.

Fig. 5
figure 5

Mean Log-likelihood (a) and ΔK (b) based on 3 replicated STRUCTURE runs for Kazakh and US breeds

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Blackburn, H.D., Toishibekov, Y., Toishibekov, M. et al. Genetic diversity of Ovis aries populations near domestication centers and in the New World. Genetica 139, 1169–1178 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10709-011-9619-4

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10709-011-9619-4

Keywords

Navigation