GENETIC DISI'ANCE MEASURES AMONG FIVE INDIGENOUS CATTLE BREEDS IN NIGERIA

Abstract

Genetic variation is the basis of effective improvement in farm animals. Population differentiation is used for objective choice of parental genotypes that constitutes new hybrids in crossbreeding. In Nigeria, population characteristics of selected indigenous cattle breeds have not been fully documented. Therefore, blood protein electrophoretic patterns of selected indigenous cattle breeds in Nigeria were assessed. Blood samples (5mL) were taken underneath the tail by venipuncture from 200 cattle (40/breed) randomly selected from the five indigenous cattle breeds. The samples were subjected to cellulose acetate electrophoresis to determine the genetic variants of haemoglobin (Hb), carbonic anhydrase (CA) and transferrin (TO. Data were analysed using Euclidean genetic distance and cluster analysis. Two main clusters from the dendrogram were observed for each of Hb, CA and TE Euclidean genetic distance at the Hb locus between WF and SG, WF and RB, WF and BK, WF and Muturu were 15.3, 15.7, 23.9 and 35.1 respectively, while the corresponding values at CA locus were 3.9, 3.3, 29.1 and 36.2, similarly, the corresponding values at Tf locus were 22.8, 25.8, 94.3 and 102.7. Genetic distance estimates were found to be higher between non-related breeds than between breeds which had common ancestors.