Genomic data as the “hitchhiker's guide” to cattle adaptation: tracking the milestones of past selection in the bovine genome

The bovine species have witnessed and played a major role in the drastic socio-economical changes that shaped our culture over the last 10,000 years. During this journey, cattle hitchhiked on human development and colonized the world, facing strong selective pressures such as dramatic environmental changes and disease challenge. Consequently, hundreds of specialized cattle breeds emerged and spread around the globe, making up a rich spectrum of genomic resources. Their DNA still carry the scars left from adapting to this wide range of conditions, and we are now empowered with data and analytical tools to track the milestones of past selection in their genomes. In this review paper, we provide a summary of the reconstructed demographic events that shaped cattle diversity, offer a critical synthesis of popular methodologies applied to the search for signatures of selection (SS) in genomic data, and give examples of recent SS studies in cattle. Then, we outline the potential and challenges of the application of SS analysis in cattle, and discuss the future directions in this field

DESIGN AND IMPLEMENTATION OF A COMMUNITY-BASED BREEDING PROGRAM FOR DAIRY GOATS IN NORTHERN MEXICO

This paper describes the research and development process for the design and implementation of a community-based breeding program for smallholders. The emphasis of the paper is on the organisation and practical procedures of the breeding program. The selection process of young breeding bucks based on own growth performance and on mother´s milk performance is described. The sustainability of a breeding program can only be ensured when there is a long-term commitment from researchers and extension service to collaborate with farmers and support them in the decision-making process. Ownership of farmers was created by handing-over many responsibilities and decision mechanisms to them and researchers played the role of facilitators