Y ‐chromosomal variation of local goat breeds of T urkey close to the domestication centre

Summary Genetic variations in chromosome Y are enabling researchers to identify paternal lineages, which are informative for introgressions and migrations. In this study, the male‐specific region markers, sex‐determining region‐ Y ( SRY ), amelogenin ( AMELY ) and zinc finger ( ZFY ) were analysed in seven T urkish native goat breeds, A ngora, K ilis, H air, H onamlı, N orduz, G ürcü and A baza. A SNP in the ZFY gene defined a new haplotype Y 2 C . All domestic haplogroups originate from C apra aegagrus , while the finding of Y 1 A , Y 1 B , Y 2 A and Y 2 C in 32, 4, 126 and 2 Turkish domestic goats, respectively, appears to indicate a predomestic origin of the major haplotypes. The occurrence of four haplotypes in the H air goat and, in contrast, a frequency of 96% of Y 1 A in the K ilis breed illustrate that Y ‐chromosomal variants have a more breed‐dependent distribution than mitochondrial or autosomal DNA . This probably reflects male founder effects, but a role in adaptation cannot be excluded.