Genetic Variability of Five Indigenous Ethiopian Cattle Breeds Using Rapd Marker
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Date
2006-12
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
Cattle in Ethiopia play a significant role in almost all the farming systems. However, Ethiopian
cattle breeds have not been studied adequately. The existing types, their number and genetic
potentials are not well documented. This study was conducted to estimate genetic distance and
magnitude of genetic diversity between and within five indigenous Ethiopian cattle breeds namely
Horro, Sheko, Arsi, Abigar and Guraghe highland, and to see the relationship between genetic
and geographic distances. Genetic relationships were investigated using three primers, which
generated a total of 33 both monomorphic and polymorphic loci. The gene diversity obtained in
this study was moderate and analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) revealed that most of the
genetic variation is held among individuals within breed. Among the five breeds, the highest gene
diversity was observed in Sheko, which previously was grouped under humpless cattle where as
the lowest gene diversity was observed in Arsi, which belongs zebu cattle type. Significant level
of breed differentiation was observed except between Guraghe highland and Abigar, and
Guraghe highland and Arsi. Similarly, the smallest genetic divergence (distance) was between
Abigar and Guraghe highland whereas the largest was found between Guraghe highland and
Sheko. The Sheko breed, as previously considered to be of taurine origin, formed distinct branch
from the rest of the breeds and Horro showed an intermediate distance from the other breeds as
it was believed that the breed resulted after cross breeding of sanga and zebu proper. The genetic
distance observed in this study and the geographic distances are not significantly correlated.
Key words/phrases: cattle, breed, gene diversity, genetic distance, RAPD, primer.
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Keywords
cattle, breed, gene diversity, genetic distance, RAPD, primer