Population structure, genetic variation and management of Marwari goats

Genetic variation at 25 microsatellite loci, population structure, and genetic bottleneck hypothesis were examined in Marwari goats in the arid region of Rajasthan (India). The estimates of genetic variability such as effective number of alleles and gene diversities frequently observed in microsatellite markers revealed substantial genetic variation. The average polymorphism across the studied loci and the expected gene diversity in the population were 1.295 and 0.623 ± 0.041, respectively. The population was observed to be significantly differentiated into groups, and showed a fairly high level of inbreeding (f = 0.264 ± 0.046) and global heterozygote deficit. The bottleneck analysis indicated the introduction of unique/rare alleles by the immigrants. The study revealed that Marwari goats need appropriate genetic management for their conservation and improvement under harsh climatic conditions of the arid zone. The information generated in this study may further be utilized for studying differentiation and relationships among different Indian goat breeds.