Diversity, identity and influence of other breeds in the development of Creole populations of domestic animals

Creole breeds of the various livestock species mainly derive from animals imported to America from the Iberian Peninsula, starting in the early years of discovery and colonization. Creoles have undergone a long period of selective adaptation to a very diverse set of environmental conditions in the American continent, and over the last two centuries some Creole populations have been admixed with breeds originating from other European countries and India. In spite of the various threats undergone, some Creole populations are still maintained nowadays, especially in marginal regions, but they need to be better known, in order to recognize their identity and establish conservation programs. In this paper, we review the results published over the last five years by various Consortia established under the framework of the CONBIAND network, with the goal of studying the genetic diversity, structure and breed relationships in Creole breeds. In all species, Creole breeds reveal high levels of genetic diversity and clear signatures of their Iberian origin, even though many breeds also show signs of genetic erosion, due to either accumulated inbreeding or admixture with exotic breeds. The research conducted until now demonstrates that the vast majority of Creoles still maintain their own identity, even though they are seldom recognized and protected. These results can be used as a basis for recognition, conservation and genetic improvement of Creoles, which are the result of more than 500 years of selective adaptation

On the origins of American Criollo pigs: A common genetic background with a lasting Iberian signature

American Criollo pigs are thought to descend mainly from those imported from the Iberian Peninsula starting in the late 15th century. Criollo pigs subsequently expanded throughout the Americas, adapting to very diverse environments, and possibly receiving influences from other origins. With the intensification of agriculture in the mid-20th century, cosmopolitan breeds largely replaced Criollo pigs, and the few remaining are mostly maintained by rural communities in marginal areas where they still play an important socio-economic and cultural role. In this study, we used 24 microsatellite markers in samples from 1715 pigs representing 46 breeds with worldwide distribution, including 17 American Criollo breeds, with the major focus of investigating their genetic diversity, structure and breed relationships. We also included representatives of the Iberian, Local British, Hungarian, Chinese and Commercial breeds, as well as Wild Boar, in order to investigate their possible influence in the genetic composition of Criollos. Our results show that, when compared with the other breeds, Criollo pigs present higher levels of genetic diversity, both in terms of allelic diversity and expected heterozygosity. The various analyses indicate that breed differentiation overall explains nearly 21% of the total genetic diversity. Criollo breeds showed their own identity and shared a common genetic background, tending to cluster together in various analyses, even though they differ from each other. A close relationship of Criollos with Iberian breeds was revealed by all the different analyses, and the contribution of Iberian breeds, particularly of the Celtic breeds, is still present in various Criollo breeds. No influence of Chinese breeds was detected on Criollos, but a few were influenced by Commercial breeds or by wild pigs. Our results confirm the uniqueness of American Criollo pigs and the role that Iberian breeds have played in their development.FCT, COMPETE 2020 (PTDC/CVTLIV/2827/2014, POCI-01-0145-FEDER-016647)info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Genetic diversity and patterns of population structure in Creole goats from the Americas

Biodiversity studies are more efficient when large numbers of breeds belonging to several countries are involved, as they allow for an in-depth analysis of the within- and between-breed components of genetic diversity. A set of 21 microsatellites was used to investigate the genetic composition of 24 Creole goat breeds (910 animals) from 10 countries to estimate levels of genetic variability, infer population structure and understand genetic relationships among populations across the American continent. Three commercial transboundary breeds were included in the analyses to investigate admixture with Creole goats. Overall, the genetic diversity of Creole populations (mean number of alleles = 5.82 ? 1.14, observed heterozygosity = 0.585 ? 0.074) was moderate and slightly lower than what was detected in other studies with breeds from other regions. The Bayesian clustering analysis without prior information on source populations identified 22 breed clusters. Three groups comprised more than one population, namely from Brazil (Azul and Graúna; Moxotó and Repartida) and Argentina (Long and shorthair Chilluda, Pampeana Colorada and Angora-type goat). Substructure was found in Criolla Paraguaya. When prior information on sample origin was considered, 92% of the individuals were assigned to the source population (threshold q ≥ 0.700). Creole breeds are well-differentiated entities (mean coefficient of genetic differentiation = 0.111 ? 0.048, with the exception of isolated island populations). Dilution from admixture with commercial transboundary breeds appears to be negligible. Significant levels of inbreeding were detected (inbreeding coefficient > 0 in most Creole goat populations, P < 0.05). Our results provide a broad perspective on the extant genetic diversity of Creole goats, however further studies are needed to understand whether the observed geographical patterns of population structure may reflect the mode of goat colonization in the Americas.Estación Experimental Agropecuaria BarilocheFil: Ginja, Catarina. Universidad de Porto; PortugalFil: Gama, Luis T. Universidade de Lisboa. Faculdade de Medicina Veterinaria; PortugalFil: Martinez, Amparo. Universidad de Córdoba. Departamento de Genética; EspañaFil: Sevane Fernandez, Natalia. Universidad Complutense de Madrid. Departamento de Producción Animal; EspañaFil: Martin-Burriel, Inmaculada. Universidad de Zaragoza. Facultad de Veterinaria; EspañaFil: Lanari, María Rosa. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Bariloche; ArgentinaFil: Revidatti, María Antonia Susana. Universidad Nacional del Nordeste. Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias; ArgentinaFil: Aranguren Mendez, Jose Atilio. Universidad de Zulia. Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias; VenezuelaFil: Bedotti, Daniel Osvaldo. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Anguil; ArgentinaFil: Ribeiro, Maria Norma. Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco. Departamento de Zootecnia; BrasilFil: Sponenberg, D. Phillip.Virginia Tech. Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine; Estados UnidosFil: Aguirre Riofrío, Edgar Lenin. Universidad Nacional de Loja, EcuadorFil: Alvarez Franco, Luz Angela. Universidad Nacional de Colombia; ColombiaFil: Menezes, M.P.C. Universidad Federal de Paraiba; BrasilFil: Chacón Marcheco, Edilberto. Universidad Tecnica de Cotopaxi; EcuadorFil: Galarza, Alexander Josué. Universidad Mayor de San Simón; BoliviaFil: Gómez Urviola, Nilton César. Universidad Nacional Micaela Bastidas de Apurimac; PerúFil: Martinez Lopez, Oscar Roberto. Universidad Nacional de Asunción. Centro Multidisciplinario de Investigaciones Tecnológicas, Dirección General de Investigación Científica y Tecnológica; ParaguayFil: Cavalcanti Pimenta, Edgard. Universidad Federal de Paraiba; BrasilFil: da Rocha, Laura Leandro. Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco. Departamento de Zootecnia; BrasilFil: Stemmer, Angelika. Universidad Mayor de San Simón; BoliviaFil: Landi, Vicenzo. Universidad de Córdoba. Departamento de Genética; EspañaFil: Delgado Bermejo, Juan Vicente. Universidad de Córdoba. Departamento de Genética; Españ