Abstract
Natural variation in ear length is present in sheep (Ovis aries). Anotia describes the condition of the absence of the outer ear and microtia the condition of small ears. So far, the genetic basis of ear length regulation was studied in the Awassi, Duolang, Valle del Belice and Altay sheep breeds. The present study should add new insights to the genetics of ear length regulation in Slovenian and Greek sheep breeds. Here, a combined linkage disequilibrium and linkage analysis (cLDLA) approach for genetic mapping was applied. The conducted cLDLA on 166 individuals yielded two genome-wide and three suggestive significantly associated loci to the studied phenotype. In proximity to the strongest genetic signal the previously described HMX1 locus is present. Our findings suggest that, while breed specific genetic regulation of ear length is possible, HMX1 may be a main regulator of ear length in sheep breeds of a broad geographic region.
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