Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Geographical assessment of body measurements and qualitative traits in West African cattle

  • Regular Articles
  • Published:
Tropical Animal Health and Production Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

A total of 1015 adult cows belonging to nine West African cattle breeds were assessed for 16 body measurements and 18 qualitative traits to ascertain the existence of geographical patterns of variation. Sampling was carried out in 29 different provinces of Mali, Burkina Faso and Benin. For body measurements, taurine breeds took lower average values than the zebu breeds. Sanga cattle took intermediate values. Qualitative traits did not allow to differentiate among cattle groups (taurine, zebu or sanga) or breeds. Principal component analysis identified two factors explaining 56.4 and 9.2 % of the variance for body measurements, respectively. Two correspondence analysis dimensions computed on qualitative traits explained a small proportion of the variability (20.8 and 13.5 %, respectively). Contour plots were constructed using the eigenvalues computed for each individual and either factor or dimension identified; confidence regions calculated confirmed that body measurements clearly differentiated zebu and taurine cattle breeds while qualitative traits did not. Factor 1 was projected on a geographical map, using provinces as nodes, to assess breed-free variation for body measurements. A pattern of continuous variation from the Sahel area southwards was identified. Probably, breeding decisions promoting the crosses between zebu-like and taurine cattle are underlying this geographical pattern of variation. The implementation of selection strategies aiming at the increase of the productivity of native West African taurine cattle breeds while avoiding looses in trypanotolerant ability would be highly advisable.

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

Access this article

Log in via an institution

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

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Álvarez, I., Traoré, A., Fernández, I., Lecomte, T., Soudré, A., Kaboré, A., Tamboura, H.H. and Goyache, F., 2014. Assessing introgression of Sahelian zebu genes into native Bos taurus breeds in Burkina Faso. Molecular Biology Reports, 41, 3745–3754.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Álvarez, I., Traoré, A., Tambourá, H.H., Kaboré, A., Royo, L.J., Fernández, I., Ouédraogo-Sanou, G., Sawadogo, L. and Goyache, F., 2009. Microsatellite analysis characterizes Burkina Faso as a genetic contact zone between Sahelian and Djallonké sheep. Animal Biotechnology, 20, 47–57.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Álvarez, I., Pérez-Pardal, L., Traoré, A., Fernández, I. and Goyache, F., 2015. African cattle do not carry unique mutations on the exon 9 of the ARHGAP15 gene. Animal Biotechnology, 26. doi:10.1080/10495398.2015.1053606.

  • Chen, S., Lin, B-Z., Baig, M., Mitra, B., Lopes, R.J., Tarroso, P., Santos, A.M., Magee, D.A., Azevedo, M., Sasazaki, S., Ostrowski, S., Mahgoub, O., Chaudhuri, T.K., Zhang, Y-P., Royo, L.J., Goyache, F., Luikart, G., Boivin, N., Fuller, D.Q., Mannen, H., Bradley, D.G. and Beja-Pereira, A., 2010. Zebu cattle are an exclusive legacy of the South Asia Neolithic. Molecular Biology and Evolution, 27, 1–6.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Desta, T.T., Ayalew, W. and Hedge, B.P., 2011. Breed and trait preferences of Sheko cattle keeper in southern Ethiopia. Tropical Animal Health and Production, 43, 851–856.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • FAO, 2000. World watch list for domestic animal diversity. Third edition. Rome, Italy.

  • FAO, 2011 Guidelines to Phenotypic characterization of Animal Genetic Resources. Rome, Italy.

    Google Scholar 

  • Legaz, E., Cervantes, I., Pérez-Cabal, M.A., de la Fuente, L.F., Mártinez, R., Goyache, F. and Gutiérrez, J.P., 2011. Multivariate characterisation of morphological traits in Assaf.E sheep. Small Ruminant Research, 100, 122–130.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lesosky, M., Dumas, S., Conradie, I., Handel, I.G., Jennings, A., Thumbi, S., Toye, P. and Bronsvoort, B.M.D. 2013. A live weight-heart girth relationship for accurate dosing of east African shorthorn zebu cattle. Tropical Animal Health and Production, 45, 311–316.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • MacHugh, D.E., Shriver, M.D., Loftus, R.T., Cunningham, P. and Bradley D.G., 1997. Microsatellite DNA variation and the evolution, domestication and phylogeography of taurine and zebu cattle (Bos taurus and Bos indicus). Genetics, 146, 1071–1086.

    PubMed Central  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Mwacharo, J.M., Okeyo, A.M., Kamande, G.K. and Rege, J.E.O., 2006. The small East African shorthorn zebu cows in Kenya. I: Linear body measurements. Tropical Animal Health and Production, 38, 65–74.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Orenge, C.O., Munga, L., Kimwele, C.N., Kemp, S., Korol, A., Gibson, J.P., Hanotte, O. and Soller, M., 2012. Trypanotolerance in N’Dama x Boran crosses under natural trypanosome challenge: effect of test-year environment, gender, and breed composition. BMC Genet 17, 13:87. doi: 10.1186/1471-2156-13-87.

  • Pérez-Pardal, L., Royo, L.J., Beja-Pereira, A., Chen, S., Cantet, RJ., Traoré, A., Curik, I., Sölkner, J., Bozzi, R., Fernández, I., Álvarez, I., Gutiérrez, J.P., Gómez, E., Ponce de Leon, F.A. and Goyache, F., 2010a. Multiple paternal origins of domestic cattle revealed by Y-specific interspersed multilocus microsatellites. Heredity, 105, 511–519.

  • Pérez-Pardal, L., Royo, L.J., Beja-Pereira, A., Curik, I., Traoré, A., Fernández, I., Sölkner, J., Alonso, J., Álvarez, I., Bozzi, R., Chen, S., Ponce de León, F.A. and Goyache, F., 2010b. Y-specific microsatellites reveal an African subfamily in taurine (Bos taurus) cattle. Animal Genetics, 41, 232–241.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Rege, J.E.O., Hanotte, O., Mamo, Y., Asrat, B. and Dessie T., 2007. Domestic Animal Genetic Resources Information System (DAGRIS). International Livestock Research Institute, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

    Google Scholar 

  • Smetko,A., Soudre, A., Silbermayr, K, Müller, S., Brem, G., Hanotte, O., Boettcher, P.J., Stella, A., Mészáros, G., Wurzinger, M., Curik, I., Müller, M., Burgstaller, J. and Sölkner, J., 2015. Trypanosomosis: potential driver of selection in African cattle. Frontiers in Genetics, 6, 137. doi: 10.3389/fgene.2015.00137

  • Soudre A., 2011. Trypanosomosis, genetic diversity and admixture in cattle breeds of Burkina Faso. Doctoral thesis, University of natural resources and life sciences, Vienna, Austria, 107p.

  • Soudré A., Ouédraogo-Koné S., Wurzinger M., Müller S., Hanotte O., Ouédraogo A.G. and Sölkner J., 2013. Trypanosomosis: a priority disease in tsetse-challenged areas of Burkina Faso. Tropical Animal Health and Production, 45,497–503.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Traoré, A., Álvarez, I., Fernández, I., Pérez-Pardal, L., Kaboré, A., Ouédraogo-Sanou, G.M.S., Zaré, Y., Tamboura H.H. and Goyache, F., 2012. Ascertaining gene flow patterns in livestock populations of developing countries: a case study in Burkina Faso goat. BMC Genetics, 13:35. doi:10.1186/1471-2156-13-35

    Article  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Traoré, A., Álvarez, I., Tambourá, H.H., Fernández, I., Kaboré, A., Royo, L.J., Gutiérrez, J.P., Ouédraogo-Sanou, G., Sawadogo, L. and Goyache, F., 2009. Genetic characterisation of Burkina Faso goats using microsatellite polymorphism. Livestock Science, 123, 322–328.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Traoré, A., Tamboura, H.H., Kabore, A., Royo, L.J., Fernández, I., Álvarez, I., Sangare, M., Bouchel, D., Poivey, J.P., Francois, D., Toguyeni, A., Sawadogo, L. and Goyache, F., 2008a. Multivariate characterization of morphological traits in Burkina Faso sheep. Small Ruminant Research, 80, 62–67.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Traoré, A., Tamboura, H.H., Kabore, A., Royo, L.J., Fernández, I., Álvarez, I., Sangare, M., Bouchel, D., Poivey, J.P., Sawadogo, L. and Goyache, F., 2008b. Multivariate analyses on morphological traits of goats in Burkina Faso. Archives of Animal Breeding, 51, 588–600.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

This paper was partially funded by grants from CORAF/WECARD-World Bank no. 03/GRN/16 and from MICIN-FEDER No. AGL2011-27585. IA, IF and FG are supported by a grant from FICYT GRUPIN14-113.

Statement of animal rights

No ethics statement was required for data collection. Body measurements and trait scores were obtained from different technicians visiting farms with the permission of the owners. Animals were managed by the owners.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

Informed consent

Informed consent was obtained from all the owners of the animals scored.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. INERA, 04 BP 8645, Ouagadougou 04, Burkina Faso

    Amadou Traoré, Adama Kaboré, Moumouni Sanou & Hamidou Hamadou Tamboura

  2. INRAB Benin, 01 BP 884 RP, Cotonou, Benin

    Delphin Oloronto Koudandé

  3. SERIDA-Deva, Camino de Rioseco 1225, E-33394, Deva-Gijón, Asturias, Spain

    Iván Fernández, Isabel Álvarez & Félix Goyache

  4. Université de Koudougou, BP 376, Koudougou, Burkina Faso

    Albert Soudré

  5. Fundación CETEMAS, Finca Experimental La Mata s/n, E-33820, Grado, Asturias, Spain

    Víctor Granda

  6. IPR-IFRA, BP 06, Koulikoro, Bamako, Mali

    Siaka Diarra & Fousseyni Diarra

Authors
  1. Amadou Traoré
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Delphin Oloronto Koudandé
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Iván Fernández
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Albert Soudré
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Víctor Granda
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Isabel Álvarez
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. Siaka Diarra
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  8. Fousseyni Diarra
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  9. Adama Kaboré
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  10. Moumouni Sanou
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  11. Hamidou Hamadou Tamboura
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  12. Félix Goyache
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Félix Goyache.

Electronic supplementary material

Below is the link to the electronic supplementary material.

Table S1

(PDF 40 kb)

Table S2

(PDF 41 kb)

Figure S1

(PDF 901 kb)

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Traoré, A., Koudandé, D.O., Fernández, I. et al. Geographical assessment of body measurements and qualitative traits in West African cattle. Trop Anim Health Prod 47, 1505–1513 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11250-015-0891-7

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11250-015-0891-7

Keywords

Search

Navigation