The knowledge of the genetic composition and relationships among livestock breeds is a necessary step for the implementation of management and conservation plans. This study aims to characterise the genetic diversity and relationships among six sheep breeds of meat aptitude that are spread through the eastern Pyrenees: Tarasconnaise, Castillonnaise and Rouge du Roussillon from France, and Aranesa, Xisqueta and Ripollesa from Spain. All but Tarasconnaise are catalogued as endangered. These breeds do not share the same ancestral origin but commercial trades and gene flow between herds are known to have occurred for centuries. Additionally, two outgroup breeds were included: the Guirra, from a different geographical location, and the Lacaune, a highly selected breed of dairy aptitude. A total of 410 individuals were typed using a panel of 12 microsatellite markers. Statistical, phylogenetic and Bayesian analyses showed that eastern Pyrenean breeds retained high levels of genetic diversity and low, but significant, levels of genetic differentiation (FST = 4.1%). While outgroups were clearly differentiated from other breeds, Pyrenean breeds tended to form two clusters. The first encompassed Tarasconnaise and Aranesa, which probably descend from a common meta-population. The second tended to group the other four breeds. However, none reached high mean Q-values of membership to a discrete cluster. This is consistent with the recent past gene flow between breeds, despite different ancestral genetic origins. The genetic characterisation carried out of the eastern Pyrenean sheep populations provides useful information to support decision making on their conservation and focusing efforts and resources to more singular breeds.

Patterns of wool variations found in modern sheep breeds may shed some light on the history of circum-Mediterranean migrations, which at present are still largely unknown. In this study, the characteristics of wool from five different local European breeds were investigated. Wool samples were taken from the following sheep breeds: Aranese, Roussillon Red, Castillonnais, Levant Red and Majorcan Red. Specimens were collected from 88 animals in different herds for each breed. The following sheep fleece characteristics were investigated: length of long-coarse, short-fine and kemp (medullated) fibres; their proportion within the staple; yield after scouring with isoalcohol; and fibre diameter. The amount of short-fine fibres was lower in the Levant Red and Majorcan Red breeds, with an inversely proportional amount of kemp fibres. Clean yield with isoalcohol was about 80 percent in all these breeds. Fleece characteristics offer a glimpse of possible morphologic relationships between the Levant Red and Majorcan Red that moreover exhibit a similarity in colour and a geographical proximity. Because very little is still known about the nature of the patterns of the fleece of Atlantic West and North African sheep, the importance of the African influence on existing European Mediterranean red sheep breeds remains to be clarified. A plausible hypothesis is that different influences would have left different traces, with a lesser impact on Pyrenean breeds. RésuméLes modèles des variations de la laine découverts dans les races modernes de moutons pourraient apporter quelques éclaircissements sur l'histoire des migrations autour de la Méditerranée qui sont à présent encore largement inconnues. Dans cette étude, on a examiné les caractéristiques de la laine de cinq différentes races locales européennes. On a pris des échantillons de laine des races suivantes de moutons: Aranesa, Rouge du Roussillon, Castillonnaise, Levantina Red et Roja Mallorquina. Pour chaque race, on a collecté les spécimens de 88 animaux de différents troupeaux. Les caractéristiques de la toison des moutons ayant été analysées ont été les suivantes: la longueur des fibres longues et grossières, courtes et fines et de jarre (médullaires), leur proportion dans le bouquet, le rendement après le dégraissage avec l'alcool isopropylique et le diamètre des fibres. La quantité de fibres courtes et fines était inférieure dans les races Levantina Red et Roja Mallorquina, avec une quantité inversement proportionnelle de fibres de jarre. Le rendement de la laine lavée à fond avec l'alcool isopropylique était d'environ 80 pour cent dans toutes les races. Les caractéristiques de la toison donnent un aperçu des relations morphologiques possibles entre les races Levantina Red et Roja Mallorquina qui présentent en outre une similitude de couleur et une proximité géographique. En raison des connaissances très limitées sur la nature des types de toison des moutons de l'Atlantique occidental et de l'Afrique du Nord, l'importance de l'influence africaine sur les races européennes...

SUMMARY:To date, no ethnological study on the wool characteristics of the Spanish Aranese ovine breed has been published. Fifty three animals belonging to this breed are tested as fleece samples. Each sample is analyzed for fleece type and length, yield by isoalcohol scouring, fiber length for each kind of fiber, variation in fiber diameter, and proportions of non-medullated and medullated or kemp fibers. Fiber length appears shorter than that previously reported for the breed by other authors. Fleeces of the Aranese sheep breed can be described as square, simple, "semi-open" and short with a relatively high yield by isoalcohol scouring and low medullation levels, thus indicating good potential quality and greater suitability for potential processing than other similar meat breeds.

Weight estimation of Gwembe goatPares et al.