Local Goat Breeds in the United States

Goat production in the United States has largely relied upon breed resources imported less than a century ago. In addition to these imported breeds that are commonly used for production are a few local breeds that have been developed over centuries in the USA and other developed more recently. These include Spanish and Myotonic goats for meat production, Lamancha goats for dairy production, and an archaic type of Navajo Angora goat that still finds a role in mohair production. Additional genetic resources reside in a few populations of feral goats, although these now persist in domestication after having been eliminated from their feral ranges. The local breeds are increasingly the target of investigations into their genetics and levels of production. Results of those investigations are finding these local breeds to be productive and valuable additions to agricultural systems

A possible dominant white gene in Jersey cattle

A white heifer ("Snow") was born in 1991 from coloured registered Jersey parents. She produced six calves sired by coloured Jersey bulls: three white bull calves, two white heifer calves, and one coloured bull calf. One of the white bull calves was mated with 40 Hereford × Friesian yearling heifers (white face, predominantly black body with some white patches). The 38 resulting calves included 16 white and 22 coloured calves. Twelve of the 16 white calves were heifers and four were bulls. Red or black spotting was recorded on some white calves. The results are consistent with an autosomal dominant mutant causing the white phenotype. The mutation appears to have arisen spontaneously in Snow, then passing to her white progeny and white grand-progeny. The white individuals varied from entirely white in a few cases, to most having some residual small areas of red or black pigmentation in patterns not typical of other reported white spotting patterns of cattle

The genetic ancestry of American Creole cattle inferred from uniparental and autosomal genetic markers

Cattle imported from the Iberian Peninsula spread throughout America in the early years of discovery and colonization to originate Creole breeds, which adapted to a wide diversity of environments and later received influences from other origins, including zebu cattle in more recent years. We analyzed uniparental genetic markers and autosomal microsatellites in DNA samples from 114 cattle breeds distributed worldwide, including 40 Creole breeds representing the whole American continent, and samples from the Iberian Peninsula, British islands, Continental Europe, Africa and American zebu. We show that Creole breeds differ considerably from each other, and most have their own identity or group with others from neighboring regions. Results with mtDNA indicate that T1c-lineages are rare in Iberia but common in Africa and are well represented in Creoles from Brazil and Colombia, lending support to a direct African influence on Creoles. This is reinforced by the sharing of a unique Y-haplotype between cattle from Mozambique and Creoles from Argentina. Autosomal microsatellites indicate that Creoles occupy an intermediate position between African and European breeds, and some Creoles show a clear Iberian signature. Our results confirm the mixed ancestry of American Creole cattle and the role that African cattle have played in their development.Fil: Ginja, Catarina. Universidad de Porto. Facultad de Ciências. Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos; PortugalFil: Gama, Luis Telo. Universidade de Lisboa. Faculdade de Medicina Veterinaria; PortugalFil: Cortés, Oscar. Universidad Complutense de Madrid; EspañaFil: Martin Burriel, Inmaculada. Universidad de Zaragoza; EspañaFil: Vega Pla, Jose Luis. Servicio de Cría Caballar de las Fuerzas Armadas. Laboratorio de Investigación Aplicada; EspañaFil: Penedo, Cecilia. University of California; Estados UnidosFil: Sponenberg, Phil. Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine; Estados UnidosFil: Cañón Ferreras, Francisco Javier. Universidad Complutense de Madrid; EspañaFil: Sanz, Arianne. Universidad de Zaragoza; EspañaFil: Egito, Andrea Alves do. Embrapa Gado de Corte; BrasilFil: Alvares, Luz Angela. Universidad Nacional de Colombia; ColombiaFil: Giovambattista, Guillermo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico CONICET- La Plata. Instituto de Genética Veterinaria "Ing. Fernando Noel Dulout". Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias. Instituto de Genética Veterinaria; ArgentinaFil: Agha, Saif. Ain Shams University. Faculty of Agriculture, Animal Production Department; EgiptoFil: Rogberg Muñoz, Andres. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico CONICET- La Plata. Instituto de Genética Veterinaria "Ing. Fernando Noel Dulout". Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias. Instituto de Genética Veterinaria; ArgentinaFil: Cassiano Lara, Maria Aparecida. Centro de Genética e Reprodução. Instituto de Zootecnia; BrasilFil: Delgado, Juan Vicente. Universidad de Córdoba; EspañaFil: Martinez, Amparo. Universidad de Córdoba; Españ

Conservação da pecuária crioula nos Estados Unidos: desafios e soluções

Conservation of criollo breeds in the USA provides for the survival of unique genetic resources that remain productive in challenging environments. Conservation is difficult because most criollo breeds are local and have no formal organization of breeders. Successful conservation has depended on establishing accurate breed definitions and investigations of phenotype, history, and genetics. Organization of breeders and of breeding has been essential for the final success of conservation efforts. Each specific breed has met its own unique challenges. Among cattle breeds, Texas Longhorns needed an accurate breed definition as well as genetic investigations, whereas Florida Crackers needed organization. Spanish goats required definition, organization, and research into their productive potential. This has led to the Spanish goat now being secure as a popular choice for extensive production of goat meat. Navajo Churro sheep are maintained by ongoing phenotypic evaluation at each generation and careful attention to the frequency of phenotypic characteristics within the population. The other criollo sheep breeds in the USA (Louisiana, Gulf Coast, and Florida) have benefitted from genetic studies that demonstrate differences among the breeds and guide conservation of each of these related types in isolation one from the others. The organization of criollo swine has lagged behind the others, with the Duroc standing out as an exception that has become one of the main breeds in commercial hog production.La conservación de las razas ganaderas criollas en los EE.UU. ha contribuído a la sobrevivencia de recursos zoogenéticos únicos que tienen buena producción en ambientes duros. La conservación es difícil porque la mayoría de estas razas son locales y no tienen una organización formal de los criadores. El éxito depende en una definición fija para la raza, e investigaciones del fenotipo, la historia, y la genética. Organizar a los criadores y la crianza ha sido esencial en el éxito final de las razas. Cada raza enfrente sus propios desafíos. Entre las razas bovinas el Texas Longhorn necesitó una definición preciso tanto investigaciones de la genética para asegurar niveles bajos de la introgresión de otras razas. La raza bovina Florida Cracker necesitó una organización de los criadores. La raza caprina Spanish requirió definición, organización, e investigaciones de las características productivas. Esta raza ya está seguro por su papel en sistemas productivos en situaciones extensivas. La raza ovina Navajo Churro se mantiene por una evalución fenotípica para todos los animales de toda generaciones, y también por mantener la frecuencia de varias características fenotípicas. Las otras razas criollas ovinas (Louisiana, Gulf Coast, and Florida) fueron documentados como tres poblaciones por investigaciones genéticas que demostraron diferencias entre ellas. Las investigaciones ayudan in la conservación de las tres razas una aislada a las otras. La organización de los porcinos criollos no es muy avanzada. La raza Duroc es un tipo de criollo que ha llegado a tener un papel importante en la producción porcina comercial.A conservação das raças criollas nos EUA proporciona a sobrevivência de recursos genéticos únicos que permanecem produtivos em ambientes desafiadores. A conservação é difícil porque a maioria das raças criollas são locais e não têm uma organização formal de criadores. A conservação bem-sucedida depende do estabelecimento de definições precisas de raça e investigações de fenótipo, história e genética. A organização dos criadores e da criação tem sido essencial para o sucesso final dos esforços de conservação. Cada raça específica encontrou seus próprios desafios únicos. Entre as raças de gado, o Texas Longhorns precisava de uma definição precisa da raça, bem como de investigações genéticas, enquanto o Florida Crackers precisava de organização. As cabras espanholas exigiam definição, organização e pesquisa sobre seu potencial produtivo. Isso fez com que a cabra espanhola agora se tornasse uma escolha popular para a produção extensiva de carne de cabra. Os ovinos Navajo Churro são mantidos por avaliação fenotípica contínua em cada geração e atenção cuidadosa à frequência das características fenotípicas na população. As outras raças de ovinos crioulos nos EUA (Louisiana, Gulf Coast e Flórida) se beneficiaram de estudos genéticos que demonstram diferenças entre as raças e orientam a conservação de cada um desses tipos relacionados isoladamente uns dos outros. A organização da suinocultura crioula ficou atrás das demais, destacando-se o Duroc como uma exceção que se tornou uma das principais raças na produção comercial de suínos

Conserving the Genetic Diversity of Domesticated Livestock

Domesticated animals live and produce in an environment influenced by both natural and human factors. These agricultural environments are important to maintain for human survival and also for their interactions with natural environments. Effective conservation of domesticated biodiversity can help to assure sustainable agricultural systems that minimize negative influences on natural environments. In addition, livestock biodiversity is a component of total biodiversity and for several species is the only remaining source of diversity because the wild ancestors are now extinct. Conservation of livestock biodiversity depends on cultural and biological approaches. Each of these has differential importance depending on the specific location of the genetic resource as well as the human culture in which it resides. Effective global conservation blends these in different measures to assure positive outcomes that succeed in securing the genetic resource as well as its contribution to human survival and well-being

A possible dominant white gene in Jersey cattle

A white heifer ("Snow") was born in 1991 from coloured registered Jersey parents. She produced six calves sired by coloured Jersey bulls: three white bull calves, two white heifer calves, and one coloured bull calf. One of the white bull calves was mated with 40 Hereford $\times$ Friesian yearling heifers (white face, predominantly black body with some white patches). The 38 resulting calves included 16 white and 22 coloured calves. Twelve of the 16 white calves were heifers and four were bulls. Red or black spotting was recorded on some white calves. The results are consistent with an autosomal dominant mutant causing the white phenotype. The mutation appears to have arisen spontaneously in Snow, then passing to her white progeny and white grand-progeny. The white individuals varied from entirely white in a few cases, to most having some residual small areas of red or black pigmentation in patterns not typical of other reported white spotting patterns of cattle