Journal of Animal Breeding and Genetics最新文献

{"title":"Use of Cluster Analysis for Identifying Metafounders.","authors":"Christine Anglhuber, Christian Edel, Eduardo C G Pimentel, Reiner Emmerling, Kay-Uwe Götz, Georg Thaller","doi":"10.1111/jbg.70039","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/jbg.70039","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>In the metafounder approach, the relationship matrix of metafounders, <math> <semantics><mrow><mi>Γ</mi></mrow> <annotation>$$ boldsymbol{Gamma} $$</annotation></semantics> </math> is used to transfer information on relationships between pedigree founders into the numerator relationship matrix <math> <semantics><mrow><mi>A</mi></mrow> <annotation>$$ mathbf{A} $$</annotation></semantics> </math> , creating matrix <math> <semantics> <mrow><msup><mi>A</mi> <mi>Γ</mi></msup> </mrow> <annotation>$$ {mathbf{A}}^{boldsymbol{Gamma}} $$</annotation></semantics> </math> . Commonly metafounders are defined based on the available information of the animal (e.g., country, sex, breed) similar to unknown parent groups (UPG). This limits the ability of metafounders to correctly reflect the population structure. In Single-Step Models, hidden stratification in the population may cause inconsistencies between matrix <math> <semantics><mrow><mi>A</mi></mrow> <annotation>$$ mathbf{A} $$</annotation></semantics> </math> and the genomic relationship matrix <math> <semantics><mrow><mi>G</mi></mrow> <annotation>$$ mathbf{G} $$</annotation></semantics> </math> when they are combined into matrix <math> <semantics><mrow><mi>H</mi></mrow> <annotation>$$ mathbf{H} $$</annotation></semantics> </math> . Reliable information on the true structure in a population can be obtained from genotypes. In this study, we investigate an approach to transfer information on population structure from the genotyped animals to the ungenotyped ancestors. We used an unsupervised clustering approach to assign pedigree founders to metafounders and performed Single-Step genomic evaluation for an increasing number of metafounders (nMF) assumed. The optimum nMF to model was determined by harmonising the trend in inbreeding in <math> <semantics><mrow><mi>G</mi></mrow> <annotation>$$ mathbf{G} $$</annotation></semantics> </math> and <math> <semantics> <mrow><msup><mi>A</mi> <mi>Γ</mi></msup> </mrow> <annotation>$$ {mathbf{A}}^{boldsymbol{Gamma}} $$</annotation></semantics> </math> and by monitoring of elements in <math> <semantics><mrow><mi>Γ</mi></mrow> <annotation>$$ boldsymbol{Gamma} $$</annotation></semantics> </math> . A semi-stochastic simulation based on real genotypes from Fleckvieh was used to investigate two scenarios: a trait with a strong genetic trend and a trait with no genetic trend. The quality of the prediction was determined by a regression of true breeding value as obtained from the simulation on estimated breeding value. The modelling of metafounders defined by population structure analysis led to a slight reduction in prediction quality in a trait with no trend, but was still stable in the range of the optimum nMF. In a trait with a strong genetic trend, prediction qualtity was improved compared to a common Single-Step model. The largest improvement was achieved in the range of the proposed optimum nMF.</p>","PeriodicalId":54885,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Animal Breeding and Genetics","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2026-01-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146031630","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Economic Benefit of Genetic Progress in Five Wool Sheep Breeds of Argentina.","authors":"Joaquín Pablo Mueller, Nicolás Giovannini, Juan Mauricio Álvarez, Pedro Alejandro Vozzi, Daniel Omar Maizon, Emilio Rivera, Francisco Milicevic, María Virginia Sturzenbaum, Alan Maxs Pardo","doi":"10.1111/jbg.70040","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/jbg.70040","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The economic benefits of genetic improvement were estimated based on genetic trends observed for economically important traits in stud herds participating in Argentina's genetic evaluation scheme. The analysis included Horned Merino, Polled Merino, Dohne Merino, Corriedale and Polwarth sheep born between 2014 and 2023. This benefit was calculated as the difference between the additional income generated by the increased value of meat and wool in multiplier and commercial herds, and the costs associated with genetic improvement at the stud tier and additional cost of improved rams at multiplier and commercial tiers. The benefits of 10 years of genetic improvement and their residual effect for another 10 years were computed, updating the annual results with a discount rate of 5%. The benefit obtained in the five breeds reached USD 4.95 million considering only breeding program costs at the stud tier. Including additional ram buying costs, the benefit reached USD 3.75 million, the difference being captured by the ram selling tiers. At the breed level (ignoring ram buying costs) the return to investment (ROI) amounted to 33.6. At multiplier and commercial herd tiers (including ram buying costs) the income to cost ratios were 5.5 and 4.0, respectively. The Corriedale breed was responsible for 39% of the total benefit. Altogether, genetic improvement in the stud tier reached 1.47 million lambs annually or about 54% of the five wool sheep populations of the country. Thus, conventional genetic improvement efforts of economically important traits of wool sheep breeds proved to have been highly profitable.</p>","PeriodicalId":54885,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Animal Breeding and Genetics","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2026-01-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145953954","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Genomic Analysis of Inbreeding Depression on Productive Traits in Rubia Galega Beef Cattle Breed.","authors":"N Mejuto-Vázquez, C Hervás-Rivero, R Rodríguez-Bermúdez, D López-Carbonell, M Hermida, P Martínez, L Varona","doi":"10.1111/jbg.70034","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/jbg.70034","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>In autochthonous livestock breeds with small populations, such as the Rubia Galega from Galicia (Spain), mating between relatives is common and can lead to inbreeding depression. Genomic inbreeding coefficients were estimated for 4984 animals using ~63,000 SNPs to assess inbreeding depression in four key traits: age at first calving (AFC) with 3503 records, calving interval (CI) with 3315 records, birth weight (BW) with 4878 records and weight at 210 days (W210) with 3285 records. Runs of homozygosity were sorted by length ([1,2], (2,4], (4,8], (8,16], > 16 Mb), and the corresponding inbreeding coefficients (F_ROH>1, F_ROH>2, F_ROH>4, F_ROH>8, F_ROH>16) were calculated using the consecutiveRUNs R package. A Genomic BLUP (GBLUP) was conducted for each F_ROH estimate using the BLUPF90+ programs. The results revealed significant inbreeding depression for AFC and CI, whereas W210 and BW exhibited similar inbreeding trends, but the effects of inbreeding on these traits were not statistically significant. To further explore the genetic basis of inbreeding depression, SNPs located within ROHs were tested, though a t-test, for their association with phenotypic traits. Genes located in significant regions (-log(p-value) > 3 from t-test) were annotated using Ensembl BioMart within a ± 0.5 Mb window. Recent inbreeding (ROH > 8 Mb) showed significant negative effects on reproductive traits, and key genomic regions-particularly on chromosome 2 involving MSTN, NAB1, and COL5A2-were linked to increased AFC and reduced BW and W210; ROH-based inbreeding estimates proved effective in detecting inbreeding depression in this native breed. Overall, ROH-based analyses revealed genomic regions and candidate genes, notably MSTN, contributing to inbreeding depression and key production traits in Rubia Galega cattle.</p>","PeriodicalId":54885,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Animal Breeding and Genetics","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-12-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145764036","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Genetic Parameters of Methane Emission, Feed Efficiency, Feeding Behaviour, and Growth Traits in Beef Cattle.","authors":"J A Silva, J P S Valente, L F M Mota, G R D Rodrigues, T L S Soares, J O S Marcatto, A M Pelaez, F M Monteiro, R C Canesin, L G Albuquerque, M E Z Mercadante","doi":"10.1111/jbg.70037","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/jbg.70037","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Climate change has intensified the need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, particularly methane (CH₄) from enteric fermentation. Genetic selection has emerged as a promising mitigation strategy; however, studies on Bos taurus indicus , especially Nellore cattle, remain limited. This study aimed to estimate heritabilities and genetic correlations for CH₄ emission traits and their relationships with feeding behaviour, feed efficiency, and performance, as well as to evaluate the direct and correlated responses to selection for lower CH₄ emissions. Data were from 2418 Nellore cattle evaluated in feed efficiency trials. Traits included dry matter intake (DMI), feeding time per day (FTd), feed events per day (FEd), and feeding rate (FR), residual feed intake (RFI), average daily gain (ADG), and mid-test body weight (MBW). Methane emissions were measured in 1153 animals using the SF₆ tracer technique, providing daily CH₄ emission (g/day), CH₄ per unit of DMI (CH₄DMI, g/day), and residual CH₄ (CH₄res). Variance components were estimated using the single-step genomic BLUP (ssGBLUP) method through Bayesian inference. Heritability estimates were moderate for CH₄ (0.25), CH₄DMI (0.14), CH₄res (0.14), and performance traits such as DMI (0.35), ADG (0.36), and MBW (0.40). Higher estimates were observed for feeding behaviour traits FTd (0.49) and FR (0.42). Genetic correlations between CH₄ and production traits were high, particularly with DMI (0.79), ADG (0.90), and MBW (0.91), indicating that selection for reduced CH₄ emissions may affect growth. Direct selection for CH₄ led to a modest annual reduction in emissions but also a correlated decline in MBW. These results demonstrate that while CH₄ emissions are heritable, their strong genetic association with productivity traits indicates that isolated selection for reduced emissions may lead to undesirable outcomes in feed intake and performance. Therefore, strategies aiming to reduce CH₄ emissions should consider the genetic relationships with growth and efficiency traits to avoid compromising animal productivity.</p>","PeriodicalId":54885,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Animal Breeding and Genetics","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-12-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145745838","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Is There a Genetic Link Between Resting Infrared Thermography in Young Horses and Longevity in Jumping Competition?","authors":"Anne Ricard, Séverine Deretz, Cathy Menard, Bernard Dumont Saint Priest","doi":"10.1111/jbg.70038","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/jbg.70038","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The objective was to evaluate the genetic relationship between the surface temperature of regions of interest, measured using infrared images of young horses and functional longevity in jumping. This relationship was assessed by comparing the temperatures measured in the offspring of two groups of sires, one favourable and one unfavourable, to longevity. The study used a specific data collection protocol on a sample of 921 young progeny, before they began competing, of 141 extreme stallions, comprising 61 favourable and 80 unfavourable sires. These stallions had been selected based on estimated breeding values for functional longevity derived from official competition data of 202,320 horses. Infrared imaging provided 49 temperature variables, including average and maximum values for regions of interest such as temperature differences from the body for eyes, hocks, fetlocks, feet, carpi and back. It also included differentials between these regions, asymmetry between right and left sides and variability within each area. Heritability was estimated using a mixed model with fixed effects, of age, sex, coat colour, weight and visit, along with random genetic effects (considering a pedigree of 8002 horses). The effect of temperature on the group of sires was assessed using multivariate partial least squares logistic regression, adjusting temperature for fixed effects. Results indicated high heritability for the temperature of regions of interest: body (0.53 ± 0.14), carpi (0.55 ± 0.19), fetlocks (0.47 ± 0.12), feet (0.46 ± 0.12 and 0.38 ± 0.12). Lower heritability was observed for differences between regions (around 0.20) and even lower for asymmetry and variability. Lower average and maximum eye temperatures, lateral asymmetry in hind feet temperature and temperature variability in the back were associated with a higher probability of belonging to the favourable group of sires for functional longevity. Infrared imaging may be a tool for identifying easily measurable selection criteria associated with longevity. Given the limited number of horses, the limited number of significant variables associated with the group of sires and the specificity of the protocol, verification and validation studies are necessary before its use.</p>","PeriodicalId":54885,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Animal Breeding and Genetics","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-12-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145710252","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Genetic Parameter Estimation for Pregnancy Loss and Their Association With Reproductive and Growth Traits in Brahman Cattle Under Extensive Tropical Conditions","authors":"Daniel Cardona-Cifuentes,&nbsp;Lucia G. de Albuquerque,&nbsp;Milagros Arias,&nbsp;Sindy Caivio-Nasner,&nbsp;Luis Camaripano,&nbsp;Luis G. Gonzalez-Herrera,&nbsp;Patricia I. Schmidt,&nbsp;Fernando Baldi","doi":"10.1111/jbg.70025","DOIUrl":"10.1111/jbg.70025","url":null,"abstract":"<p>This study estimated genetic parameters for pregnancy loss (PL) in Brahman cattle and evaluated the genetic correlation of PL with growth and reproductive traits using both the pedigree relationship matrix (<b>A</b>) and pedigree plus genomic relationship matrix (<b>H</b>). Data were collected from two herds in Bolivia, focusing on three age groups: heifers, primiparous and multiparous cows. Threshold animal models were fitted to each group. Multitrait models were fitted between the PL at different age group and between PL and the following traits: adjusted weights at 450 (W450) and 550 (W550) days, scrotal circumference adjusted at 450 (SC450) and 550 (SC550) days, accumulated cow productivity (ACP), age at first calving (AFC) and stayability (STAY). The <b>H</b> matrix increased the heritability for PL in heifers from 0.06 to 0.11. The genetic correlation between PL in heifers and primiparous cows changed using H (from 0.18 to 0.7), and it was high between heifers and multiparous cows. Moderate-high negative genetic correlation was observed between PL and STAY, with changes in heifers when using <b>H</b> (−0.17 to −0.57). AFC and PL presented medium-high positive genetic correlations. Negative correlations between PL and SC450 or SC550 were found in primiparous and multiparous cows. Using <b>H</b>, the correlation between PL in heifers and ACP shifted from 0.08 to −0.31, showing medium-high negative correlations for the other two age groups. Genetic correlations were low between PL and W450 or W550. Genomic information allows the use of PL as a selection criterion in heifers. Selection for major sexual precocity, longevity and productivity would enable the reduction of pregnancy loss.</p>","PeriodicalId":54885,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Animal Breeding and Genetics","volume":"143 2","pages":"365-374"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-11-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/jbg.70025","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145432937","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Estimation of Genetic Parameters for Deviation in Age at Market Weight and Deviation in Weight at Market Age in Menz Sheep","authors":"Zeleke Tesema Wondie,&nbsp;Shanbel Besufkad,&nbsp;Aschalew Abebe,&nbsp;Shenkute Goshme,&nbsp;Asfaw Bisrat,&nbsp;Ayele Abebe,&nbsp;Alemnew Araya,&nbsp;Tesfaye Zewdie,&nbsp;Chekol Demis,&nbsp;Liuelseged Alemayehu,&nbsp;Erdachew Yitagesu,&nbsp;Tefera Mekonnen,&nbsp;Firdawok Ayele,&nbsp;Derb Aydefruhim,&nbsp;Tesfa Getachew,&nbsp;Enyew Alemnew,&nbsp;Solomon Gizaw,&nbsp;Tesfaye Getachew,&nbsp;Berhanu Belay,&nbsp;Barbara Rischkowsky,&nbsp;Yu Jiang,&nbsp;Aynalem Haile","doi":"10.1111/jbg.70023","DOIUrl":"10.1111/jbg.70023","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Reducing the number of days from birth to slaughter is one strategy to improve animal feed and environmental efficiency. The export market use yearling sheep weighing 22–30 kg and usually purchases from large and small-scale traders at an early age (lambs weighing ≥ 15 kg) for mutton production. Hence, this study aimed to derive a new trait phenotype, which helps to reduce sheep market age without adverse effects on the market weight of Menz sheep and to evaluate the extent of exploitable genetic variation in this new trait. To this end, 11,258 lambs weighing ≥ 15 kg between 66 and 395 days of age were considered in this study. Co (variance) components and heritability estimates for novel traits were estimated using the average information restricted maximum likelihood method in WOMBAT fitting the animal model. The best-fitted model was selected from six models based on likelihood ratio test and Akaike's information criterion. The days-to-market weight of 16.3% of the animals was shorter by 48.2 days (with an estimated breeding value of −26.2 days) compared to the mean of the contemporary groups. The market weight of 15.5% of the animals was higher by 1.73 kg compared to the mean of the contemporary groups. There was a phenotypic variability of deviation in age at market weight (DAMW) and deviation in weight at market age (DWMA) for the sheep population in Molalie village compared to other villages. Likewise, the genetic standard deviation for DAMW and DWMA was 25 days and 0.79 kg, respectively. Based on the best-fitted model, the direct heritability estimate for DAMW and DWMA was 0.65 and 0.57, respectively. In addition, the maternal genetic effect explains 28% of the phenotypic variation in DAMW and 26% of the phenotypic variation in DWMA. The DAMW of Menz sheep in Dargegn and Molalie villages decreased significantly by 2.113 and 1.192 days year⁻¹, respectively. The observed additive genetic variance for DAMW suggests further scope for genetic improvement in the flock to reduce the days-to-market weight of Menz sheep. Including this novel trait in a breeding objective could shorten days to market weight without necessarily reducing the genetic merit of the live weight included in the breeding objective.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":54885,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Animal Breeding and Genetics","volume":"143 2","pages":"354-364"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-10-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145403035","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Genomic Prediction and Genome-Wide Association Analysis of Heat Tolerance for Milk Yield in Buffaloes Using a Reaction Norm Model","authors":"Gabriela Stefani,&nbsp;Mário Luiz Santana,&nbsp;Lenira El Faro,&nbsp;Humberto Tonhati","doi":"10.1111/jbg.70022","DOIUrl":"10.1111/jbg.70022","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of incorporating genomic information on the estimation of genetic (co)variance components and the accuracy of breeding values for milk yield under varying thermal environments, and to identify SNPs associated with genes that play significant roles in heat tolerance. We analysed 58,070 test-day milk yield records from 3459 first lactations, collected between 1987 and 2018 from six herds. Genotypic data consisted of 870 animals genotyped for 45,405 SNP markers. Climatic data were obtained from INMET and combined into a temperature-humidity index (THI). Breeding values for test-day milk yield across THI values and days in milk were estimated using both genomic and pedigree-based random regression animal models. The model incorporating genomic information yielded higher estimates of heritability and additive genetic variance, along with improved accuracy under heat stress conditions and better modelling of genotype-by-environment interaction, making it a promising approach for predicting breeding values. GWAS results were reported based on the proportion of genetic variance explained by sliding windows of five consecutive SNPs, with regions explaining more than 1% of the variance in heat tolerance selected for further consideration. The ESRRG, IGSF5 and PCP4 genes emerged as strong candidates associated with heat tolerance in milk yield.</p>","PeriodicalId":54885,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Animal Breeding and Genetics","volume":"143 2","pages":"342-353"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-10-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/jbg.70022","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145395078","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Early Intergenerational Changes in Genetic Diversity During Domestication of Procambarus acanthophorus Using Mitochondrial and Nuclear DNA Markers","authors":"Saúl Omar Arriola-Martínez,&nbsp;Griselda Francisca Gallegos-Simental,&nbsp;Carlos Iván Pérez-Rostro,&nbsp;Guadalupe Fabiola Arcos-Ortega,&nbsp;Martha Patricia Hernández-Vergara","doi":"10.1111/jbg.70024","DOIUrl":"10.1111/jbg.70024","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p><i>Procambarus acanthophorus</i> is a freshwater crayfish species endemic to Mexico with high aquaculture potential. Monitoring genetic diversity during the early stages of domestication is crucial to avoid the erosion of adaptive potential and ensure the success of breeding programmes. This study analysed changes in genetic variability across four consecutive populations: a wild founder population (G0) and three captive-bred generations (G1, G2, G3), using five mitochondrial markers (COI, COII, COIII, tRNA-Asn/12S and D-loop) and one nuclear marker (elongation factor 2, EF-2). A total of 21 haplotypes were detected, with decreasing haplotype richness from G0 (<i>n</i> = 10) to G3 (<i>n</i> = 5), although haplotype and nucleotide diversity remained within moderate to high ranges (Hd = 0.65–0.90; <i>π</i> = 0.0020–0.0466), consistent with diversity levels reported in other early-stage domestication studies. AMOVA revealed that 68% of the total genetic variation was among generations, and pairwise Fst values confirmed progressive differentiation. These findings suggest that while some genetic erosion is occurring, the implemented breeding practices have preserved a substantial portion of genetic diversity during early domestication. This study provides a preliminary genetic baseline for the management of <i>P. acanthophorus</i> breeding programmes and underscores the need for continued monitoring using complementary nuclear markers.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":54885,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Animal Breeding and Genetics","volume":"143 2","pages":"333-341"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-10-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145379683","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Estimating the Value of Including Resilience in a Multi-Trait Selection Index Designed for Australian Merino Sheep","authors":"Erin G. Smith,&nbsp;Samuel F. Walkom,&nbsp;Sam A. Clark","doi":"10.1111/jbg.70021","DOIUrl":"10.1111/jbg.70021","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>General resilience in livestock can be estimated from the variability in longitudinal data and may support balanced breeding objectives by helping animals better cope with environmental stress. However, its economic value and inclusion within multi-trait selection indexes remain largely unexplored. Current genetic improvement programs for sheep primarily focus on wool growth, reproduction and lean meat production. This study developed a bioeconomic model to estimate the economic value of general resilience, using the natural logarithm of variance of wool fibre diameter as a resilience indicator trait in sheep. A commercial Merino sheep enterprise was considered, and the economic value of resilience was derived from its association with health, mortality, and energy allocation for production. The breeding objective included key traits related to meat production, reproduction, and wool quality and quantity, to compare the economic impact of resilience with these traits. Among 13 traits, resilience contributed 2.02% to the total value of the index and ranked 11th in economic importance. After 10 years of simulated selection, resilience was expected to improved by 0.07 genetic standard deviations, translating to a modest economic gain of $0.08 per ewe. A sensitivity analysis was conducted to assess the impacts of increasing the relative contribution of resilience within the index on selection responses under four scenarios: (i) base genetic correlations, (ii) stronger correlations, (iii) weaker correlations, and (iv) adding genomic information. Resilience responded 50%–75% more effectively to selection when it had stronger genetic correlations with production traits or when genomic information was incorporated. However, placing greater emphasis on resilience (&gt; 10% of the index) reduced progress in key production traits. Future research should explore these trade-offs in industry selection indexes to integrate resilience effectively without compromising productivity.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":54885,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Animal Breeding and Genetics","volume":"143 2","pages":"314-332"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-10-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145350054","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}