Discriminant analysis reveals differences in breed structure in river buffaloes of Maharashtra (India)

Buffaloes are a major milch species of India, and owning a true-to-breed buffalo herd is a reverie for livestock keepers, as it substantiates their incomes. Multivariate discriminate analysis is an efficient methodology to classify different farm animal populations based on canonical discriminant function. The present study was conducted on 392 adult buffaloes using 18 body biometric traits. Except for body height and body length, all the body characters revealed significant differences amongst the four buffalo populations. Unlike cattle, distance between horns and rump width were more discriminating factors, compared to body height, leg length, chest girth, and body length. We report the most suitable discriminate function which can discriminate with maximum between-group variation in four studied populations. Mahalanobis distances were calculated between populations and they ranged from 0.786 to 1.227. Purnathadi has revealed a distinct phenotypic structure, and these buffaloes have a distinct native breeding region comprising Akola, Amravati, and Buldhana districts of Maharashtra state. On the other hand, Elachpuri animals failed to depict physical and biometric discriminations from Nagpuri, Marathwadi, and Purnathadi buffalo populations, and Elachpuri can be considered as a strain of Nagpuri buffalo.

Morphological diversity of northeastern fat-tailed and northwestern thin-tailed indigenous sheep breeds of Ethiopia

Characterization of indigenous sheep breeds using morphological traits is essential for designing rational conservation and improvement strategies. This study was conducted to check the morphological diversity of three fat-tailed and three thin-tailed indigenous sheep breeds of Ethiopia. The phenotypic traits such as live body weight and linear body measurements (body length, wither height, chest girth, chest depth, rump height, rump length, ear length, tail length, and pelvic width) were measured and used for analysis. The statistical analysis was done using different procedures of SAS 9.4. Analysis of variance showed significant variation between breeds. Multivariate analyses clearly assigned the studied sheep breeds into distinct populations. Mahalanobis distance showed significant (p < 0.01) difference between breeds. The present morphometric information obtained could support future decision-making on the management, conservation, and improvement of the studied sheep genetic resources.

Principal Component Analysis of morphological traits of synthetic White Leghorn chicken

The aim of present study was to assess the relationship among morphological traits and identify the components that define body conformation in a synthetic White Leghorn strain using multivariate procedure principal component analysis. Data were collected from the records of synthetic White Leghorn strain maintained at Poultry Breeding Farm, LUVAS, Hisar. A total of 12 different morphological traits, viz. 40 week body weight, beak length, comb length, keel length, body length, breast girth, breast angle, radius-ulna length, shank length, shank circumference, back length and tail length were recorded and statistical analysis revealed the means for corresponding traits as 1972.65 g, 2.25 cm, 10.74 cm, 12.61 cm, 33.10 cm, 31.40 cm, 55.19 degree, 13.28 cm, 8.37 cm, 4.33 cm, 26.58 cm and 22.94 cm, respectively. Phenotypic correlations among considered body measurements were found to be positive and highly significant varying from 0.394 (breast angle-back length) to 0.965 (body length-back length). All body measurements taken into the study showed high correlation with 40 week body weight indicating the possible use of body measurements in predicting body weight in synthetic White Leghorn strain. The extracted single component explained 75.307% of the total variability in the original parameters and had high loadings for all the considered traits except breast angle. Communality estimates varied from 0.313 (breast angle) to 0.900 (body length) in present study. Further, low communality estimate for breast angle observed in this study indicated that breast angle is frail in elucidating the total variation in body measurements of synthetic White Leghorn strain.

Evaluation of morphological traits and physiological variables of several Chinese goat breeds and their crosses

The current study was undertaken to evaluate some morphological traits of the goat breeds raised in Southwest China. The field experimentation and data collection were from 434 animals presenting seven breeds of the Dazu black goat (DBG; n = 203), Saanen milk goat (SMG; n = 50), Black Boer × Dazu black goat (BXC; n = 28), Hechuan white goat (HWG; n = 49), Inner Mongolia Cashmere goat (IMCG; n = 25), IMCG × DBG (F₁; n = 57) and F₁ × F₁ (F₂; n = 22). All studied animals were adult and selected to be at the same age (36.50 ± 0.75 months). After editing, more than 20 morphological and production traits like body condition score (BCS), testicle measurements, coat colour, fibre traits, skin colour, horn colour, horn shape, horn orientation, wattles, front hair, beard, ear shape, ear size, rump angle, hind leg angulation and physiological variables were analysed. BXC and DBG had dark coat colour, whilst SMG, HWG and IMCG had light colour, whilst F₁ and F₂ ranged from light to dark coat colour. Concerning BCS, the breeds BXC and DBG were characterized as fat goats, whilst SMG, HWG, F₁ and F₂ were average, whilst IMCG was thin. The maximum values for testis measurements were recorded for BXC, SMG and DBG. For fibre traits, IMCG, F₁ and F₂ were the most superior. BXC and DBG males have good fertility parameters. The highest values for rectal temperature, skin temperature and breath rate were recorded for SMG. These findings revealed the presence of a wide range of morphological differences among studied goat breeds. Such diversity in the performance of goat breeds raised in Southwest China is crucial to implement reliable selection strategies for breeding goats in this area.

Classification of four ovine breeds of southern peninsular zone of India: Morphometric study using classical discriminant function analysis

Six morphometric traits (height at withers, body length, chest girth, ear length, tail length and body weight) were analyzed to characterize from a breed point of view 1981 sheep from four ovine breeds (Bellary, Kenguri, Hassan and Mandya) of southern peninsular zone of India. Discriminant Function Analysis was used to distinguish between four breeds by morphometric traits. The population variability showed Kenguri ewes were the largest and heaviest followed by Bellary, Hassan and Mandya whereas Kenguri rams were followed by Bellary, Mandya and Hassan. Overall sexual dimorphism (m/f) was 1.13, with Kenguri males being 47% heavier than females. The coefficient of variation of all traits in four breeds ranged from 4.06% to 30.28%. The flocks and age effects showed a high heterogeneity among females of different flocks. Height at withers was most discriminating trait in separating the four sheep breeds. The Mahalanobis distance of the morphological traits between Kenguri and Mandya sheep was most while the least differentiation was observed between Kenguri and Bellary sheep. Nearest neighbour discriminant analysis showed that most Kenguri sheep were classified into their source population followed by Mandya. However, varied percentages of misclassification between different breeds were observed showing the level of genetic exchange that has taken place between the breeds overtime. UPGMA based dendrogram showed formation of two separate groups; Mandya and Hassan clustered together while Bellary and Kenguri formed other group.

Pastoral community selection and the genetic structure of a local goat breed in Patagonia

The effect of human intervention on the structure of locally adapted breeds in America is analyzed using the case of a rural community in Patagonia (Argentina) and its goats. The Neuquen Criollo Goat is analyzed focusing on the artificial selection practiced by the local rural community and its effects on the current type's distribution. Goatherd preferences in the selection of replacements were studied by means of a survey (n= 242). The distribution of 634 females of various types was recorded and compared with selection criteria through multivariate techniques. Producers showed clear grounds for the selection of their animals, size, conformation, hair type and coat color being the criteria most frequently cited. Most producers (84%) used at least two criteria to choose their replacements. Differences of criteria and phenotypes between areas were significant, as was the correlation between Chi-squared distances matrix on both data sets (r=0.78), showing the influence of human intervention on the breed's shape. Directional selection, practiced by rural communities in marginal areas, was the main factor of microevolution in this Criollo goat population, and probably in other Criollo populations in America.

Timing of emergence of ovulatory follicles in polyovulatory goats

The current study characterized the timing of emergence of ovulatory follicles during the follicular phase of the estrous cycle in polyovulatory does and assessed whether selection may influence ovulation rate through differences in ovarian follicular dynamics, by characterizing preovulatory follicular emergence and growth in two ecotypes of Neuquen-Criollo Argentinean goats (Short-Hair, n=11 and Long-Hair, n=9). During the breeding season, the time of estrus was synchronized in all does with two doses of a prostaglandin analogue. Ovarian laparoscopies were performed on days 17 and 19 after the induced estrus (day 0) and 7-15 h after the beginning of the subsequent estrus. Results indicate that both ecotypes of goats have common features in the ovarian follicular population and in the patterns of preovulatory follicular enlargement. In all the goats, most of the preovulatory follicles arose from the pool of follicles present in the ovary between days 17 and 19 of the estrous cycle. These follicles were all larger than 2mm at emergence, being the largest growing follicle present in the ovaries on days 17 and 19 in 56.5 and 78.6% of the does, respectively. The appearance of new follicles remained unaffected, while the mean number of small growing follicles decreased (P<0.05) during the follicular phase, indicating that preovulatory follicles do not suppress the emergence of new follicles but inhibit the growth of small follicles. A separate analysis of single and double ovulating does showed that 75% of the second ovulatory follicles in polyovulatory goats was present on the ovarian surface between days 17 and 19 of the estrous cycle, but appeared later in the other 25% of the estrous cycles. These findings support the hypothesis that follicular dominance effects are exerted during the preovulatory period, when the growth of follicles other than the ovulatory is inhibited, and that increases in ovulation rate in small ruminants are related to a reduced incidence of follicular atresia and an extended period of ovulatory follicle recruitment.