Do Pharaohs' cattle still graze the Nile Valley? Genetic characterization of the Egyptian Baladi cattle breed

Egyptian Baladi cattle is one of the few native taurine breeds which remain in the original domestication area of Bos taurus, the Nile Valley (Upper Egypt). Apart from its evolutive relevance, the breed is well-adapted and integrated into the traditional family farming systems, with great potentialities for local sustainable rural development. The diversity and structure of the Baladi population were assessed using 28 genetic microsatellite markers. Within and between-breeds diversity, its relations with other cattle breeds, and an inference on its origin and evolution, were analyzed. Results reported high levels of diversity, with an average number of alleles (Na) of 11.39, observed heterozygosity (Ho) of 0.68, and expected heterozygosity (He) of 0.75. The studied population was in Hardy-Weinberg disequilibrium, which could be ascribed to its internal structure. The comparison between breeds using factorial correspondence analysis, Reynolds genetic distance evaluation, and genetic structure analysis suggested slight influences of Bos indicus. Upper Egypt's rural communities have preserved the Baladi cattle breed, protecting this historical and biological heritage against the constant and indiscriminate introduction of exotic genetic resources along the history of development of the breed. Developing and implementing conservation and breeding programs is crucial for the preservation and improvement of the breed.HIGHLIGHTSBaladi cattle breed is a well-defined and highly diverse breed.Higher diversity levels are found in northern and central governorates.A clear geographical cluster is formed around the Nile Delta.Baladi cattle may be reminiscent of the ancient 'pharaoh' cattle.Assiut's population acted as the most ancestral population nucleus.