Uniquely selected breeds bred over thousands of years of domestication in a wide range of environments have been declared extinct over the last century. Still more breeds are at risk of becoming extinct and the rate continues to accelerate. Assessing the current status and possible future dynamics of livestock breeds is therefore a critical step in the management of Animal Genetic Resources (AnGR). This study applies a qualitative approach to comprehensively analyze cattle genetic resources in selected countries in order to better understand the risk status of cattle breeds and those that need to be considered extinct and/or quasi-extant. The status of each breed, i.e., not at risk, critical, endangered and extinct, was verified using information available at the Domestic Animal Diversity Information System (DAD-IS) web site, as well as cattle statistics (where available) and a breed survey. In most examples, breeds listed as extinct have played important roles in the development of new breeds, and should not be classified as extinct, unless proven otherwise, given that even breeds existing in vivo are developing. Therefore, a new risk status quasi-extant for this category of cattle breeds is suggested. In addition, based on the findings of this study, the concept of breed needs to be questioned as relates to it being a good measure of genetic diversity. Further investigations of the situation of cattle breeds (and other livestock species) in more countries/continents using similar categories are deemed necessary.
References
[1]
Darwin, C. On the Origin of Species by Mean of Natural Selection; John Murray: London, UK, 1859.
[2]
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). World Watch List of Domestic Animal Diversity, 3rd ed.; Scherf, B.D., Ed.; FAO: Rome, Italy, 2000.
[3]
Gandini, G.C.; Ollivier, L.; Danell, B.; Distl, O.; Georgoudis, A.; Groeneveld, E.; Martyniuk, E.; van Arendonk, J.A.M.; Wolliams, J.A. Criteria to assess the degree of endangerment of livestock breeds in Europe. Livest. Prod. Sci. 2004, 91, 173–182, doi:10.1016/j.livprodsci.2004.08.001.
[4]
Domestic Animal Diversity Information System (DAD-IS) Home Page. Available online: http://dad.fao.org/ (accessed on 10 August 2012).
[5]
Merriam-Webster Web Page. Breed. Available online: http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/breed (accessed on 11 July 2013).
[6]
International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI). Building a Global Research Institute; ILRI: Nairobi, Kenya, 1996.
[7]
K？hler-Rollefson, I. Indigenous practices of animal genetic resource management and their relevance for the conservation of domestic animal diversity in developing countries. J. Anim. Breed. Genet. 1997, 114, 231–238, doi:10.1111/j.1439-0388.1997.tb00509.x.
[8]
FAO. Global Plan of Action for Animal Genetic Resources and the Interlaken Declaration; FAO: Rome, Italy, 2007.
[9]
Lush, J. Animal Breeding Plans; The Iowa State College Press: Ames, IA, USA, 1943.
[10]
MacHugh, D.E. Molecular Biogeography and Genetic Structure of Domesticated Cattle. Ph.D. Thesis, Trinity College, University of Dublin, Dublin, Ireland, March 1996.
[11]
Hammond, K.; Leitch, H.W. Towards better management of animal genetic resources. World Anim. Rev. 1995, 84–85, 48–53.
[12]
FAO. The Global Strategy for the Management of Farm Animal Genetic Resources; FAO: Rome, Italy, 1999.
[13]
Tisdell, C. Socioeconomic causes of loss of animal genetic diversity: Analysis and assessment. Ecol. Econ. 2003, 45, 365–376, doi:10.1016/S0921-8009(03)00091-0.
[14]
FAO. The State of the World’s Animal Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture; Rischkowsky, B., Pilling, D., Eds.; FAO: Rome, Italy, 2007.
[15]
Bett, R.C.; Johansson, K.; Zonabend, E.; Malmfors, B.; Ojango, J.; Okeyo, A.M.; Philipsson, J. Trajectories of Evolution and Extinction in the Swedish Cattle Breeds. In Proceeding of the 9th World Congress Applied to Livestock Production, Leipzig, Germany, 2–6 August 2010.
[16]
Mariante, A.S.; Albuquerque, M.S.M.; Egito, A.A.; McManus, C.; Lopes, M.A.; Paiva, S.R. Present status of the conservation of livestock genetic resources in Brazil. Livest. Sci. 2009, 120, 204–212, doi:10.1016/j.livsci.2008.07.007.
[17]
Swedish Board of Agriculture. The Development of Animal Genetic Resources in Sweden 2007 and 2008; Jordbruksverket: J？nk？ping, Sweden, 2011.
[18]
Bhuiyan, A.K.F. Research on Characterization, Conservation and Improvement of Red Chittagong Cattle of Bangladesh; Chaudhury Printing and Publications: Mymensingh, Bangladesh, 2008.
[19]
Cruz, R.V.; Harasawa, H.; Lal, M.; Wu, S.; Anokhin, Y.; Punsalmaa, B.; Honda, Y.; Jafari, M.; Li, C.; Huu Ninh, N. Asia. Climate Change 2007: Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability. In Contribution of Working Group II to the Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change; Parry, M.L., Canziani, O.F., Palutikof, J.P., van der Linden, P.J., Hanson, C.E., Eds.; Cambridge University Press: Cambridge, UK, 2007; pp. 469–506.
[20]
FAO. Country Reports on the State of Animal Genetic Resources: Annex to The State of the World’s Animal Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture. FAO: Roma, Italy, 2007.
[21]
Mariante, A.S.; Egito, A.A. Animal genetic resources in Brazil: Result of five centuries of natural selection. Theriogenology 2002, 57, 223–235, doi:10.1016/S0093-691X(01)00668-9.
[22]
Primo, A.T. The Iberian Cattle in the Americas. In Reuni？o Anual da Sociedade Brasileira de Zootecnia, Anais; Sociedade Brasileira de Zootecnia: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 1993; pp. 183–199.
[23]
Serrano, G.M.; Egito, A.A.; McManus, C.; Mariante, A. Genetic Diversity and Population Structure of Brazilian Native Bovine Breeds Based on RAPD Markers. In Proceedings of the 7th World Congress on Genetics Applied to Livestock Production, Montpellier, France, 2002.
[24]
Ndumu, D.B.; Baumung, R.; Hanotte, O.; Wurzinger, M.; Okeyo, M.; Jianlin, H.; Kibogo, H; S？lkner, J. Genetic and morphological characterisation of the Ankole Longhorn cattle in the African Great Lakes region. Genet Sel. Evol. 2008, 40, 467–490.
[25]
Swedish Dairy Association Home Page. Available online: http://www.svenskmjolk.se/ (accessed on 23 February 2010).
[26]
Tapio, I.; V？rv, S.; Bennewitz, J.; Maleviciute, J.; Fimland, E.; Grislis, Z.; Meuwissen, T.H.E.; Miceikiene, I.; Olsaker, I.; Viinalass, H.; et al. Prioritization for conservation of Northern European cattle breeds based on analysis of microsatellite data. Conserv. Biol. 2006, 20, 1768–1779, doi:10.1111/j.1523-1739.2006.00488.x.
[27]
Hammack, S.P. Texas Adapted Genetic Strategies for Beef Cattle VI: Creating Breeds; AgriLIFE Extension Texas A&M: College Station, Texas, USA, 2009.
[28]
Toro, M.; M？ki-Tanila, A. Genomics Reveals Domestication History and Facilitates Breed Development. In Utilisation and Conservation of Farm Animal Genetic Resources; Oldenbroek, K., Ed.; Wageningen Academic Publishers: Wageningen, The Netherlands, 2007; pp. 75–102.
[29]
Oldenbroek, K. Utilisation and Conservation of Farm Animal Genetic Resources; Wageningen Academic Publishers: Wageningen, The Netherlands, 2007.
