Understanding how evolutionary pressures related to climate change have shaped the current genetic background of domestic animals is a fundamental pursuit of biology. Here, we generated whole-genome sequencing data from native goat populations in Iraq and Pakistan. Combined with previously published data on modern, ancient (Late Neolithic to Medieval periods), and wild species worldwide, we explored the genetic population structure, ancestry components, and signatures of natural positive selection in native goat populations in Southwest Asia (SWA).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFClimate change, especially weather extremes like extreme cold or extreme hot, is a major challenge for global livestock. One of the animal breeding goals for sustainable livestock production should be to breed animals with excellent climate adaptability. Indigenous livestock and poultry are well adapted to the local climate, and they are good resources to study the genetic footprints and mechanism of the resilience to weather extremes.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe Chantecler chicken, a unique Canadian indigenous breed, is well adapted to extremely cold environments. However, its genetic characteristics have not been well studied. Here, we analyzed the whole genomes of 10 Chantecler chickens and 121 worldwide chickens, which indicated that Chantecler chickens were derived from commercial chickens and exhibit a high level of inbreeding.
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