Topic
Kerry cattle
About: Kerry cattle is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 3 publications have been published within this topic receiving 23 citations.
Papers
TL;DR: The Irish Cattle Breeding Federation (ICBF) was recently mandated to support and co-ordinate the conservation efforts which are centred around minimum coancestry selection, a mating advisory service, semen and embryo cryoconservation as discussed by the authors.
Abstract: The Kerry is the most numerous of the three surviving indigenous breeds of cattle in Ireland. With a total population currently under a thousand animals it is listed as endangered in the World Watch list. Conservation efforts currently focus on both in situ and ex situ conservation. This approach is possible because of the existence of a few enthusiastic pedigree breeders, a breed society and a herdbook with registrations dating back to the 19th century. The Kerry cattle population is small with overlapping generations. The main objective in its conservation is to minimise inbreeding and conserve genetic variation. The Irish Cattle Breeding Federation (ICBF) was recently mandated to support and co-ordinate the conservation efforts which are centred around minimum coancestry selection, a mating advisory service, semen and embryo cryoconservation. To this end, a mean relationship system was developed for the routine computation of inbreeding and provision of a mating advisory system. Four bulls are identified annually for semen collection and storage. A second scheme aims to identify 15 cows for embryo cryoconservation over a three-year period. Future conservation efforts will benefit from the collation of Kerry cattle breeding and production information in a central database. This and a study of the dynamics of the Kerry cattle population are future priorities for ICBF in an effort to prevent the extinction of the Kerry cattle.
4 citations
TL;DR: Analysis of genome-wide SNP array data showed that genomic inbreeding has increased significantly during the 20 years between 1992 and 2012 and that recent estimated Ne values for the Kerry breed may be less than the threshold for sustainable genetic conservation.
Abstract: Kerry cattle are an endangered landrace heritage breed of cultural importance to Ireland. In the present study we have used genome-wide SNP array data to evaluate genomic diversity within the Kerry population and between Kerry cattle and other European breeds. Patterns of genetic differentiation and gene flow among breeds using phylogenetic trees with ancestry graphs highlighted historical gene flow from the British Shorthorn breed into the ancestral population of modern Kerry cattle. Principal component analysis (PCA) and genetic clustering emphasised the genetic distinctiveness of Kerry cattle relative to comparator British and European cattle breeds. Modelling of genetic effective population size (Ne) revealed a demographic trend of diminishing Ne over time and that recent estimated Ne values for the Kerry breed may be less than the threshold for sustainable genetic conservation. In addition, analysis of genome-wide autozygosity (FROH) showed that genomic inbreeding has increased significantly during the 20 years between 1992 and 2012. Finally, signatures of selection revealed genomic regions subject to natural and artificial selection as Kerry cattle adapted to the climate, physical geography and agro-ecology of southwest Ireland.
TL;DR: Analysis of genome-wide SNP data showed that genomic inbreeding has increased significantly during the 20 years between 1992 and 2012 and that recent estimated Ne values for the Kerry breed may be less than the threshold for sustainable genetic conservation.
Abstract: Kerry cattle are an endangered landrace heritage breed of cultural importance to Ireland. In the present study we have used genome-wide SNP data (Illumina BovineSNP50 array) to evaluate genomic diversity within the Kerry cattle population and between Kerry cattle and other European cattle breeds. Visualisation of patterns of genetic differentiation and gene flow among cattle breeds using phylogenetic trees with ancestry graphs highlighted, in particular, historical gene flow from the British Shorthorn breed into the ancestral population of modern Kerry cattle. Principal component analysis (PCA) and genetic clustering emphasised the genetic distinctiveness of Kerry cattle relative to comparator British and European cattle breeds. Modelling of genetic effective population size (Ne) revealed a demographic trend of diminishing Ne over time and that recent estimated Ne values for the Kerry breed may be less than the threshold for sustainable genetic conservation. In addition, analysis of genome-wide autozygosity (FROH) showed that genomic inbreeding has increased significantly during the 20 years between 1992 and 2012. Finally, signatures of selection revealed genomic regions subject to natural and artificial selection as Kerry cattle adapted to the climate, physical geography and agro-ecology of southwest Ireland.
Related Topics (5)
Performance Metrics
| Year | Papers |
|---|---|
| 2018 | 1 |
| 2017 | 1 |
| 2004 | 1 |