Publications by authors named "Abdelkader Chikhi"
The question of how local adaptation takes place remains a fundamental question in evolutionary biology. The variation of allele frequencies in genes under selection over environmental gradients remains mainly theoretical and its empirical assessment would help understanding how adaptation happens over environmental clines. To bring new insights to this issue we set up a broad framework which aimed to compare the adaptive trajectories over environmental clines in two domesticated mammal species co-distributed in diversified landscapes.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWhole genome sequences (WGS) greatly increase our ability to precisely infer population genetic parameters, demographic processes, and selection signatures. However, WGS may still be not affordable for a representative number of individuals/populations. In this context, our goal was to assess the efficiency of several SNP genotyping strategies by testing their ability to accurately estimate parameters describing neutral diversity and to detect signatures of selection.
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- The domestication of sheep and goats originated in the fertile crescent about 10,500 years ago, and recent genetic studies are helping to clarify this process.
- Researchers sequenced the genomes of their wild relatives, the Asiatic mouflon and Bezoar ibex, and compared them to domestic breeds, revealing differences shaped by selective pressures.
- Although both species share some common genetic traits selected during domestication, they exhibit distinct selection patterns, indicating different evolutionary strategies for achieving similar traits in livestock.
Article Synopsis
- Goats have evolved into various locally adapted populations due to human and environmental pressures, with many indigenous breeds at risk of extinction from replacement by cosmopolitan breeds.
- New sequencing technologies allow for comparison of whole genomes, leading to a study that sequenced 44 goats from three distinct indigenous populations in Morocco.
- The findings revealed high genetic diversity and low linkage among the genomes, with insights into adaptation mechanisms, emphasizing the importance of preserving indigenous genetic resources for the long-term sustainability of the species.
With 5 millions heads, goats occupy the second place after sheep in Morocco. The indigenous populations are generally raised for meat, except Draa goat that is raised as a dual purpose doe. The objective of this study was to assess milk yield and composition of Draa indigenous goat breed under an intensive system of three kiddings in 2 years and to evaluate the effects of non-genetic factors.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThis study examined the viability of 4,554 D'man lambs born alive at Errachidia research station in south-eastern Morocco between 1988 and 2009. Lamb survival to 1, 10, 30 and 90 days old was 0.95, 0.
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