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Disclosing the origin and diversity of O mani cattle
Author(s) -
Mahgoub Osman,
Babiker Hamza A.,
Kadim I.T.,
AlKindi Mohammed,
Hassan Salwa,
AlMarzooqi W.,
Eltahir Yasmin E.,
AlAbri M. A.,
AlKhayat Aisha,
AlSinani Kareema R.,
Hilal AlKhanjari Homoud,
Costa Vânia,
Chen Shanyuan,
BejaPereira Albano
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
animal genetics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.756
H-Index - 81
eISSN - 1365-2052
pISSN - 0268-9146
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2052.2012.02399.x
Subject(s) - livestock , genetic diversity , peninsula , biological dispersal , biology , indian subcontinent , population , diversity (politics) , agriculture , microsatellite , geography , ecology , ethnology , demography , allele , genetics , history , sociology , anthropology , gene
Summary Among all livestock species, cattle have a prominent status as they have contributed greatly to the economy, nutrition and culture from the beginning of farming societies until the present time. The origins and diversity of local cattle breeds have been widely assessed. However, there are still some regions for which very little of their local genetic resources is known. The present work aimed to estimate the genetic diversity and the origins of Omani cattle. Located in the south‐eastern corner of the Arabian Peninsula, close to the Near East, East Africa and the Indian subcontinent, the Sultanate of Oman occupies a key position, which may enable understanding cattle dispersal around the Indian Ocean. To disclose the origin of this cattle population, we used a set of 11 polymorphic microsatellites and 113 samples representing the European, African and Indian ancestry to compare with cattle from Oman. This study found a very heterogenic population with a markedly Bos indicus ancestry and with some degree of admixture with Bos taurus of African and Near East origin.