The diversity in today’s livestock breeds has been shaped largely through the domestication of wild ancestral species and subsequent refinement by human selection for desired traits. Only a small fraction of the genetic diversity from the ancestral species survives in the domestic counterparts. A 2007 report released by UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) "The state of the world's animal...

Many local livestock breeds and minor species are in decline and may be lost because they cannot compete with high-yielding exotic breeds. Conserving these breeds is important: many have unique traits, such as hardiness and disease resistance, that are vital for future livestock production. One way to help ensure their survival may be to sell products from these breeds to high-value, specialist...

The genetic diversity of the world's livestock populations is decreasing, both within and across breeds. A wide variety of factors has contributed to the loss, replacement or genetic dilution of many local breeds. Genetic variability within the more common commercial breeds has been greatly decreased by selectively intense breeding programmes. Conservation of livestock genetic variability is th...

SUMMARY Domestic animal diversity in developing countries is embedded in traditional farming and pastoral communities who manage their livestock according to their indigenous knowledge (IK) and in tune with local ecological constraints. Especially in marginal environments, local livestock breeds are crucial for sustaining rural livelihoods by producing a wide range of products while requiring r...

We have sequenced the DNA barcodes (i.e. cytochrome c oxidase subunit I or COI gene of the mitochondrial genome) of common breeds/strains of farm animals (mammals – buffalo, cattle, goat, sheep, pigs, dogs, and cat; poultry – chickens, quail, turkey, guinea fowl, ducks, geese, pigeons, and ostrich) in the Philippines. DNA was extracted from blood samples. The DNA barcode of the livestock and po...

In an effort to improve productivity and profits many farmers have replaced traditional livestock breeds with higher yielding alternatives. While such changes may bring about short-term economic gains, the loss of traditional livestock breeds could result in the loss of an important genetic resource as a variety of important genetic traits adapted to local conditions gradually become less commo...

Livestock production is the most important component of northern European agriculture and contributes to and will be affected by climate change. Nevertheless, the role of farm animal genetic resources in the adaptation to new agro-ecological conditions and mitigation of animal production's effects on climate change has been inadequately discussed despite there being several important associatio...

BACKGROUND In 2007, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) initiated the Global plan of action for Farm Animal Genetic Resources (FAnGR). The main goal of this plan is to reduce further loss of genetic diversity in farm animals, so as to protect and promote the diversity of farm animal resources. An important step to reach this goal is to monitor and prioritize endang...

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 (An...

Today's livestock diversity originated from the wild ancestor species and was subsequently shaped through the processes of mutation, genetic drift, and natural and human selection. Only a subset of the diversity present in the ancestral species survives in the domestic counterparts. A 2007 report released by UN Food and Agriculture Organization 'The State of the World's Animal Genetic Resources...