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ARS Home » Plains Area » Miles City, Montana » Livestock and Range Research Laboratory » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #153713
Title: ISSUES IN SAMPLING TO CONSERVE GENETIC DIVERSITY WITHIN BREEDS

Author
item Macneil, Michael
item KEALEY, COURTNEY - MONTANA STATE UNIV
item LAMBERSON, W - UNIV OF MISSOURI
item BALMYSHEVA, N - RUSSIAN ACADEMY OF SCIENC
item French, Larry

Submitted to: Research Update for Fort Keogh Livestock and Range Research Laboratory
Publication Type: Popular Publication
Publication Acceptance Date: 10/1/2002
Publication Date: 1/15/2003
Citation: MACNEIL, M.D., KEALEY, C.K., LAMBERSON, W.L., BALMYSHEVA, N., FRENCH, L.B. ISSUES IN SAMPLING TO CONSERVE GENETIC DIVERSITY WITHIN BREEDS. RESEARCH UPDATE FOR FORT KEOGH LIVESTOCK AND RANGE RESEARCH LABORATORY. p. 60. 2003.

Interpretive Summary: Cryogenic conservation programs seek to maximize genetic diversity in the conserved sample of germplasm. Breed associations record and maintain extensive pedigree and performance databases for a wide variety of livestock populations. Until recently, genetic characterization of beef populations has been widely accomplished by estimating additive genetic differences in phenotypes within and between breeds. These methods depend on knowledge of pedigree and accurate measurement of phenotype. More recent application of techniques from molecular biology to livestock species provides an opportunity to quantify differences among these populations based directly on measures of genetic variability.

Technical Abstract: Cryogenic conservation programs seek to maximize genetic diversity in the conserved sample of germplasm. Breed associations record and maintain extensive pedigree and performance databases for a wide variety of livestock populations. Until recently, genetic characterization of beef populations has been widely accomplished by estimating additive genetic differences in phenotypes within and between breeds. These methods depend on knowledge of pedigree and accurate measurement of phenotype. More recent application of techniques from molecular biology to livestock species provides an opportunity to quantify differences among these populations based directly on measures of genetic variability. Procedures, based on pedigree relationships, to select candidates for cryogenic prevention were developed and ground-work laid to compare these procedures with results based on measures of genetic distance based on microsatellite allele frequencies.