Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 5, 2026

A Noninvasive Hair Sampling Technique to Obtain High Quality DNA from Elusive Small Mammals
Published on: March 13, 2011
Investigations on merging breeds in genetic conservation schemes
J Bennewitz1, H Simianer, T H E Meuwissen
1Department of Animal and Aquacultural Sciences, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Box 1432, As, Norway. jorn.bennewitz@umb.no
Abstract:
Genetic diversity within livestock species is threatened by extinction of breeds and by genetic drift; the need to conserve genetic diversity by conservation schemes is widely accepted. To maintain the between-breed diversity, breeds are usually kept separately in live conservation schemes. However, in some cases it might be very difficult or even impossible to conserve a highly endangered breed in a closed population. If this breed is important for diversity, it might be beneficial to merge it with one or more breeds to conserve a part of the diversity that is contributed by this breed. The present study introduces a general framework that may enable one to decide when it is beneficial to form a synthetic breed that includes highly endangered breeds to maximize conserved diversity and when to keep the breeds separate. Expected future diversities were estimated using a kinship-based diversity measure together with extinction probabilities of the breeds. Using a small hypothetical data set, the pattern of diversity and its 2 components, within-breed and between-breed diversity, were analyzed in detail when forming a synthetic breed. The suggested approach was applied to a data set of 13 central European red and yellow cattle breeds. The results suggested forming a synthetic breed by combining a nonendangered breed with 1 of the 2 highly endangered breeds, which would result in a slight increase in conserved diversity.
Related Concept Videos
Hybrid Zones
Genetics of Speciation
Conservation of Small Populations
Evolutionary Relationships through Genome Comparisons
Mutation, Gene Flow, and Genetic Drift
Types of Genetic Transfer Between Organisms

