Divergent adaptation to highland and tropical environments in Bolivian Creole cattle.

Bolivian Creole cattle populations evolved under low levels of breeding management and, during more than 500 years of natural selection, became adapted to various environments such as the contrasting highland and subtropical environments. Recently, highland Creole cattle were crossbred with Holstein to improve dairy production. The aim of this research was to evaluate the divergent adaptation through selection footprints of Bolivian Creole cattle from Andean highland and tropical lowlands, and to evaluate the effect of Holstein introgression in highland Creole.