Blood groups and biochemical polymorphism in the Namaqua sheep breed

The Namaqua is an indigenous fat-tailed African breed of sheep which has remained relatively isolated and which at one time dwindled to near extinction. Frequency data are given for blood group antigens, red cell glutathione and potassium types, for electrophoretic variants of red cell haemoglobin, 'X' protein, nucleoside phosphorylase, NADH-diaphorase, lysine and carbonic anhydrase and of plasma esterase, transferrin and albumin. Of particular interest was the occurrence of the i blood group, a bimodal distribution in red cell glutathione concentrations and red cell potassium concentrations of around 57 mmol/l cells, i.e. neither typically LK nor HK type.