Analysis of the population structure of a cattle conservation nucleus Curraleiro Pé Duro

Abstract

The objective of this research was to study the population structure of the Cattle Conservation Nucleos Curraleiro Pé Duro of the Instituto Nacional do Semiárido (NCP_INSA) based on pedigree data. Genealogical information from 338 animals registered in the period from 1991 to 2019 was used. The number of founding animals (Nf), the effective number of founders (fe), effective number of ancestors (fa), inbreeding coefficient (F), and average relatedness coefficient (AR), in addition to Fis, Fit and Fst were estimated. It was possible to identify ancestors up to the third generation, with an increase in information over the generations. Of the total pedigree information evaluated, 90.53% had the identification of the father and mother. The effective size of the population was smaller than those proposed by FAO, suggesting the need to redefine the herd management and genetic management plan strategies, promoting gene flow and breed expansion.

Analysis of Endangered Andalusian Black Cattle (Negra Andaluza) Reveals Genetic Reservoir for Bovine Black Trunk

“…F IS values were 0.036, 0.021, and 0.039, while F ST was 0.085, 0.069, and 0.011 and F IT was 0.052, 0.049, and 0.049, respectively. These values indicate a low-to-moderate level of inbreeding and differentiation at all levels, which is comparable to other breeds under conservation programs and intensive production breeds like Brown Swiss, Sahiwal, and Braford [36,[61][62][63][64][65].…”

“…While these values fall below the threshold of 0.6 for reliability in estimates, they have steadily improved since 2000, when the breed was included in the official catalog of Spanish bovine breeds, alongside enhanced management of genealogical records and genetic improvement plans by the association [2]. These values align with other bovine breeds undergoing conservation processes, such as the Curraleiro Pé Duro in Brazil, Italian Pontremolese, Sardo Modicana, and German Angler and Red and White dual-purpose breeds [36][37][38], but are lower than those in commercial-industrial dairy and beef cattle breeds with extensive record-keeping and genetic evaluation histories [39][40][41][42][43][44][45].…”