Genetic differentiation among autochthonous and cosmopolitan goat breeds based on information from microsatellite markers – a preliminary study

Abstract

The aim of the study was to evaluate the differentiation among three goat breeds ? the autochthonous Carpathian goat and the cosmopolitan Alpine and Anglo-Nubian breeds – based on information from microsatellite markers. Blood samples of 64 goats were collected from three farms located in southern Poland. The population structure of the collected goats was investigated using the Bayesian approach, implemented in STRUCTURE 2.3.4. The Pairwise Population Fst analysis revealed that the largest genetic distinction was between the Anglo-Nubian and the Alpine breeds. In each of the analyses carried out, it was observed that the Carpathian breed is genetically more similar to the Alpine breed, while the Anglo-Nubian breed is a separate, much more distinct cluster. It therefore seems reasonable to carry out further research in the context of the genetic relationship between the two goat breeds (Carpathian and Alpine) adapted to the harsh conditions of mountainous areas.