Estimates Of Genetic Diversity Research Articles

Determinants of genetic diversity in Neotropical salamanders (Plethodontidae: Bolitoglossini).

Genetic diversity is the raw material of evolution, yet the reasons why it varies among species remain poorly understood. While studies at deeper phylogenetic scales point to the influence of life history traits on genetic diversity, it appears to be more affected by population size but less predictable at shallower scales. We used proxies for population size, mutation rate, direct selection, and linked selection to test factors affecting genetic diversity within a diverse assemblage of Neotropical salamanders, which vary widely for these traits. We estimated genetic diversity of noncoding loci using ddRADseq and coding loci using RNAseq for an assemblage of Neotropical salamanders distributed from northern Mexico to Costa Rica. Using ddRADseq loci, we found no significant association with genetic diversity, while for RNAseq data we found that environmental heterogeneity and proxies of population size predict a substantial portion of the variance in genetic diversity across species. Our results indicate that diversity of coding loci may be more predictable than that of noncoding loci, which appears to be mostly unpredictable at shallower phylogenetic scales. Our results suggest that coding loci may be more appropriate for genetic diversity estimates used in conservation planning because of the lack of any association between the variables we used and genetic diversity of noncoding loci.

Genetic diversity and phylogenetic relationship estimation of Shanxi indigenous goat breeds using microsatellite markers

The objective of this study was to assess the genetic diversity, phylogenetic relationship and population structure of five goat breeds in Shanxi, China. High genetic diversities were found in the five populations, among which, Licheng big green goat (LCBG) has the highest genetic diversity, while Jinlan cashmere goat (JLCG) population has the lowest genetic diversity. Bottleneck analysis showed the absence of recent genetic bottlenecks in the five goat populations. Genetic differentiation analysis shows that the closest genetic relationship between LCBG and LLBG (Lvliang black goat) was found, and the genetic distance between JLCG and the other four populations is the largest. The population structure of JLCG is different from the other four populations with K = 2, while LCBG and LLBG have high similarity population structure as the K value changes. Knowledge about genetic diversity and population structure of indigenous goats is essential for genetic improvement, understanding of environmental adaptation as well as utilization and conservation of goat breeds.

Functional genomic diversity is correlated with neutral genomic diversity in populations of an endangered rattlesnake

Theory predicts that genetic erosion in small, isolated populations of endangered species can be assessed using estimates of neutral genetic variation, yet this widely used approach has recently been questioned in the genomics era. Here, we leverage a chromosome-level genome assembly of an endangered rattlesnake (Sistrurus catenatus) combined with whole genome resequencing data (N = 110 individuals) to evaluate the relationship between levels of genome-wide neutral and functional diversity over historical and future timescales. As predicted, we found positive correlations between genome-wide estimates of neutral genetic diversity (π) and inferred levels of adaptive variation and an estimate of inbreeding mutation load, and a negative relationship between neutral diversity and an estimate of drift mutation load. However, these correlations were half as strong for projected future levels of neutral diversity based on contemporary effective population sizes. Broadly, our results confirm that estimates of neutral genetic diversity provide an accurate measure of genetic erosion in populations of a threatened vertebrate. They also provide nuance to the neutral-functional diversity controversy by suggesting that while these correlations exist, anthropogenetic impacts may have weakened these associations in the recent past and into the future.

Estimation of genetic diversity in Cenchrus ciliaris accessions introduced in the Brazilian semi-arid region

Estimation of genetic diversity in Cenchrus ciliaris accessions introduced in the Brazilian semi-arid region

Genetic Variability of Finger Millet (Eleusine coracana (L.) Gaertn) Genotypes on Agro-Morphological Traits

The present study was conducted during kharif 2019 (July–October)at the field of All India Coordinated Small Millets Improvement Project, College of Agriculture, Rewa (M.P.), India. Thirty-two (32) genotypes were evaluated for estimation of genetic variability, heritability and genetic advance for yield and yield contributing traits. The finger millet genotypes were sown in randomized block design with three replications. The results revealed that the values of phenotypic coefficients of variability were greater than genotypic coefficients of variability for all the traits studied. Moderate magnitude of PCV and GCV was recorded for number of tillers followed by flag leaf width, flag leaf length, 1000-grain weight, biological yield plant-1, and grain yield plant-1. The analysis of variance revealed that highly significant differences were recorded among the genotypes for all the studied characters, which indicate the presence of wide range of variability among genotypes and scope of selection for improvement. The high heritability coupled with high genetic advance as percentage of mean was recorded for flag leaf length, biological yield plant-1, grain yield plant-1, flag leaf width and 1000-grain weight. It forces to conclude that these characters are governed by additive gene action and phenotypic selection based on these traits in the segregating generations would likely to be more effective. In addition to the genetic variability, knowledge on heritability and expected genetic advance helps the breeder to employ the suitable breeding strategy.

Risk factors and genetic parameter estimates for preweaning survival of Fogera calves

This study utilised mortality records of 1 043 Fogera calves maintained at Andassa Livestock Research Center from 1984 to 2021 to investigate the factors that influence survival and estimate genetic parameters for the preweaning survival of Fogera calves. Survival was defined as the probability of surviving in a given length of time. Survival analysis was done using the Weibull proportional hazard model with Survival Kit version 6.1 software. Genetic variance and heritability estimates were estimated using the sire model. The proportion of right-censored calves up to 1, 4, and 8 months of age was 90.8, 87.8, and 83.5%, respectively. Around 55.8% of all deaths (16.5%) occurred up to one month of age. In addition to birth year, sex, season, and weight at birth were the most important risk factors for calf mortality. The heritability estimates for the survival of calves at 1, 4, and 8 months of age were 0.26 ± 0.14, 0.22 ± 0.13, and 0.38 ± 0.18, respectively. Moderate heritability was estimated at the age of eight months, implying that the inclusion of survival traits in the selection criteria and inclusion in the breeding goal will enhance the preweaning survival rate of calves. Similarly, higher differences in estimated breeding values of sires for survival suggest that the selection of sires with higher estimated breeding values could improve the survival potential of calves. The decreased genetic trend of 3.34% year−1 for the survival potential of Fogera calves during the study periods suggested that survival traits should be included in the breeding goal to reduce the mortality rate.

Cross species/genera transferability of simple sequence repeat markers, genetic diversity and population structure analysis in gladiolus (Gladiolus × grandiflorus L.) genotypes.

Genetic analysis of gladiolus germplasm using simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers is largely missing due to scarce genomic information. Hence, microsatellites identified for related genera or species may be utilized to understand the genetic diversity and assess genetic relationships among cultivated gladiolus varieties. In the present investigation, we screened 26 genomic SSRs (Gladiolus palustris, Crocus sativus, Herbertia zebrina, Sysirinchium micranthum), 14 chloroplast SSRs (Gladiolus spp., chloroplast DNA regions) and 25 Iris Expressed Sequence Tags (ESTs) derived SSRs across the 84 gladiolus (Gladiolus × grandiflorus L.) genotypes. Polymorphic markers detected from amplified SSRs were used to calculate genetic diversity estimates, analyze population structure, cluster analysis and principal coordinate analysis (PCoA). A total of 41 SSRs showed reproducible amplification pattern among the selected gladiolus cultivars. Among these, 17 highly polymorphic SSRs revealed a total of 58 polymorphic alleles ranging from two to six with an average of 3.41 alleles per marker. Polymorphic information content (PIC) values ranged from 0.11 to 0.71 with an average value of 0.48. A total of 4 SSRs were selectively neutral based on the Ewens-Watterson test. Hence, 66.66% of Gladiolus palustris, 48% of Iris spp. EST, 71.42% of Crocus sativus SSRs showed cross-transferability among the gladiolus genotypes. Analysis of genetic structure of 84 gladiolus genotypes revealed two subpopulations; 35 genotypes were assigned to subpopulation 1, 37 to subpopulation 2 and the remaining 12 genotypes could not be attributed to either subpopulation. Analysis of molecular variance indicated maximum variance (53.59%) among individuals within subpopulations, whereas 36.55% of variation among individuals within the total population. The least variation (9.86%) was noticed between two subpopulations. Moderate (FST = 0.10) genetic differentiation between two subpopulations was observed. The grouping pattern of population structure was consistent with the unweighted pair group method with arithmetic mean (UPGMA) dendrogram based on simple matching dissimilarity coefficient and PCoA. SSR markers from the present study can be utilized for cultivar identification, conservation and sustainable utilization of gladiolus genotypes for crop improvement. Genetic relationships assessed among the genotypes of respective clusters may assist the breeders in selecting desirable parents for crossing.

Environmental DNA reveals the genetic diversity and population structure of an invasive species in the Laurentian Great Lakes

Environmental DNA (eDNA) has been established as a noninvasive and efficient approach to sample genetic material from aquatic environments. Although most commonly used to determine species presence and measure biodiversity, eDNA approaches also hold great potential to obtain population-level genetic information from water samples. In this study, we sequenced a panel of multiallelic microsatellite markers from filtered water and fish tissue samples to uncover patterns of intraspecific diversity in the freshwater Round Goby (Neogobius melanostomus) across their invaded range in the Laurentian Great Lakes region. Although we found that the concentration of nuclear eDNA is lower than mitochondrial eDNA, we nonetheless detected over two-thirds of all nuclear alleles identified from genotyped tissues in our eDNA samples, with the greatest recovery of common alleles in the population. Estimates of allele frequencies and genetic variability within and between populations were detected from eDNA in patterns that were consistent with individual tissue-based estimates of genetic diversity and differentiation. The strongest genetic differentiation in both eDNA and tissues exists in an isolation by distance pattern. Our study demonstrates the potential for eDNA-based approaches to characterize key population parameters required to effectively monitor, manage, or sustain aquatic species.

Genetic Analysis of F2 Populations for Quantitative Traits in Blackgram [Vigna mungo (L.) Hepper

Background: Blackgram is an important pulse crop grown in India. The creation of new variability through hybridization or mutation breeding will produce novel segregants for important yield attributing traits. The selection from the population will be effective if the traits have good genetic variability estimates. Methods: The present investigation was conducted on analysing genetic variability parameters in F2 populations of the blackgram crosses CO 5 × VBN 9 and CO 6 × VBN 11 which were evaluated during rabi, 2022. Results: Based on the coefficient of variations, it was found that sufficient amount of genetic variability and high to moderate heritability with high genetic advance were present in the populations for the traits viz., plant height, number of branches per plant, number of clusters per plant, number of pods per cluster, number of pods per plant and seed yield per plant indicates the presence of additive gene action which can be improved by simple selection in the earlier generations. The positive skewness was observed for the traits viz., number of branches per plant, number of pods per cluster, number of pods per plant, hundred seed weight and seed yield per plant in F2 population of CO 5 × VBN 9 and number of clusters per plant, number of pods per cluster, number of pods per plant and seed yield per plant in the F2 population of CO 6 × VBN 11. The above traits could be improved by intensive selection for rapid improvement. The leptokurtic nature of the distribution for the trait hundred seed weight in CO 5 × VBN 9 population and the traits viz., number of clusters per plant, number of pods per plant, pod length, number of seeds per pod and seed yield per plant in CO 6 × VBN 11 population indicates these traits are controlled by few minor genes. Hence, the good segregants could be selected from these two populations for yield improvement.

Genetic Diversity of Apple Clonal Rootstocks from the Collection of the Michurinsk State Agrarian University Based on SSR Markers.

The Michurinsk State Agrarian University (Michurinsk SAU) is one of the leading centers for breeding apple clonal rootstocks. A diverse collection of apple rootstocks, founded in 1930s by V.I. Budagovsky, is maintained at the Michurinsk SAU. In the present study, 87 rootstocks from this collection were analyzed using 18 SSR markers to assess their genetic diversity and relatedness. The detected polymorphism level was rather high compared to the previous estimates of apple rootstock genetic variability. A total of 199 alleles were detected with an average of 11.1 alleles per locus. Among the detected alleles, 67 (33.67%) were rare and 43 (21.61%) were unique. The average PIC value was 0.73, and the expected and observed heterozygosity averaged 0.76 and 0.69, respectively. All the studied accessions except two could be identified with the used marker set. Cluster analysis revealed several groups according to the rootstocks' pedigrees and genetic origin. Furthermore, Structure analysis revealed two main groups of the studied rootstock accessions. No significant differentiation of the studied sample according to dwarfing ability was detected, while weak differentiation was detected according to leaf color. SSR genotyping data can be used for rootstock fingerprinting and pedigree verification and will facilitate collection management. In addition, data on the genetic diversity and structure of the studied collection may be useful for further development of the Michurinsk SAU rootstock breeding program.

Utilizing genetic diversity to select tomato lines tolerant of tomato yellow leaf curl virus based on genotypic coefficient of variation, heritability, genotypic correlation, and multivariate analyses

Tomato yellow leaf curl virus (TYLCV) is one of the most destructive pathogens for tomato crops. The development of TYLCV-tolerant tomato lines (TLs) requires a thorough understanding of their genetic variability and relationships among lines and in traits of interest. Twelve F9 TLs were evaluated for phenotypic TYLCV tolerance, vegetative growth, yield, and fruit quality during the 2018 and 2019 fall seasons to identify elite breeding lines. TLs were selected by a bulk selection method from segregating generations of the commercial F1 hybrids TH99802 (TLs 1–6) and TH99806 (TLs 7–12). TLs exhibited either mild or no symptoms. The TYLCV titer varied between 0.8 × 105 and 3.9 × 105 in symptomless TLs plants compared to 56.7 × 105 in severely symptomatic plants of susceptible ‘Castlerock.’ Across both seasons, TL-3, TL-5, and TL-8 exhibited the highest total and marketable plant yields, TYLCV tolerance, and acceptable fruit quality. Most traits had high estimates of genetic variance, genotypic coefficient of variance, and broad sense heritability. Our results indicated that there was sufficient genetic variability for selection of the best lines. Principal component analysis and hierarchical cluster analysis indicated that the TLs were highly diverse of the evaluated traits and could be divided into three clusters. Cluster 1, which included TL-1, TL-3, and TL-8, performed better for TYLCV tolerance and economically important traits. Clusters 1 and 2 showed the greatest degree of dissimilarity. Therefore, crossing parents from Cluster 1 with 2 is predicated to maximum recombination for improve genotypes.

Nascent evolution of recombination rate differences as a consequence of chromosomal rearrangements.

Reshuffling of genetic variation occurs both by independent assortment of chromosomes and by homologous recombination. Such reshuffling can generate novel allele combinations and break linkage between advantageous and deleterious variants which increases both the potential and the efficacy of natural selection. Here we used high-density linkage maps to characterize global and regional recombination rate variation in two populations of the wood white butterfly (Leptidea sinapis) that differ considerably in their karyotype as a consequence of at least 27 chromosome fissions and fusions. The recombination data were compared to estimates of genetic diversity and measures of selection to assess the relationship between chromosomal rearrangements, crossing over, maintenance of genetic diversity and adaptation. Our data show that the recombination rate is influenced by both chromosome size and number, but that the difference in the number of crossovers between karyotypes is reduced as a consequence of a higher frequency of double crossovers in larger chromosomes. As expected from effects of selection on linked sites, we observed an overall positive association between recombination rate and genetic diversity in both populations. Our results also revealed a significant effect of chromosomal rearrangements on the rate of intergenic diversity change between populations, but limited effects on polymorphisms in coding sequence. We conclude that chromosomal rearrangements can have considerable effects on the recombination landscape and consequently influence both maintenance of genetic diversity and efficiency of selection in natural populations.

Strong purifying selection in haploid tissue-specific genes of Scots pine supports the masking theory.

The masking theory states that genes expressed in haploid stage will be under more efficient selection. In contrast, selection will be less efficient in genes expressed in diploid stage, where the fitness effects of recessive deleterious or beneficial mutations can be hidden from selection in heterozygous form. This difference can influence several evolutionary processes such as the maintenance of genetic variation, adaptation rate, and genetic load. Masking theory expectations have been confirmed in single-cell haploid and diploid organisms. However, in multicellular organisms, such as plants, the effects of haploid selection are not clear-cut. In plants, the great majority of studies indicating haploid selection have been carried out using male haploid tissues in angiosperms. Hence, evidence in these systems is confounded with the effects of sexual selection and intra-specific competition. Evidence from other plant groups is scarce and results show no support for the masking theory. Here we have used a gymnosperm Scots pine megagametophyte, a maternally-derived seed haploid tissue, and four diploid tissues to test the strength of purifying selection on a set of genes with tissue-specific expression. By using targeted resequencing data of those genes, we obtained estimates of genetic diversity, the site frequency spectrum of 0-fold and 4-fold sites, and inferred the distribution of fitness effects (DFE) of new mutations in haploid and diploid tissue-specific genes. Our results show that purifying selection is stronger for tissue-specific genes expressed in the haploid megagametophyte tissue, and that this signal of strong selection is not an artifact driven by high expression levels.

Easy-to-use R functions to separate reduced-representation genomic datasets into sex-linkedand autosomal loci, and conduct sex assignment.

Identifying sex-linked markers in genomic datasets is important because their presence in supposedly neutral autosomal datasets can result in incorrect estimates of genetic diversity, population structure and parentage. However, detecting sex-linked loci can be challenging, and available scripts neglect some categories of sex-linked variation. Here, we present new R functions to (1) identify and separate sex-linked loci in ZW and XY sex determination systems and (2) infer the genetic sex of individuals based on these loci. We tested these functions on genomic data for two bird and one mammal species and compared the biological inferences made before and after removing sex-linked loci using our function. We found that our function identified autosomal loci with ≥98.8% accuracy and sex-linked loci with an average accuracy of 87.8%. We showed that standard filters, such as low read depth and call rate, failed to remove up to 54.7% of sex-linked loci. This led to (i) overestimation of population FIS by up to 24%, and the number of private alleles by up to 8%; (ii) wrongly inferring significant sex differences in heterozygosity; (iii) obscuring genetic population structure and (iv) inferring ~11% fewer correct parentages. We discuss how failure to remove sex-linked markers can lead to incorrect biological inferences (e.g. sex-biased dispersal and cryptic population structure) and misleading management recommendations. For reduced-representation datasets with at least 15 known-sex individuals of each sex, our functions offer convenient resources to remove sex-linked loci and to sex the remaining individuals (freely available at https://github.com/drobledoruiz/conservation_genomics).

VariantscanR: an R-package as a clinical tool for variant filtering of known phenotype-associated variants in domestic animals

BackgroundSince the introduction of next-generation sequencing (NGS) techniques, whole-exome sequencing (WES) and whole-genome sequencing (WGS) have not only revolutionized research, but also diagnostics. The gradual switch from single gene testing to WES and WGS required a different set of skills, given the amount and type of data generated, while the demand for standardization remained. However, most of the tools currently available are solely applicable for human analysis because they require access to specific databases and/or simply do not support other species. Additionally, a complicating factor in clinical genetics in animals is that genetic diversity is often dangerously low due to the breeding history. Combined, there is a clear need for an easy-to-use, flexible tool that allows standardized data processing and preferably, monitoring of genetic diversity as well. To fill these gaps, we developed the R-package variantscanR that allows an easy and straightforward identification and prioritization of known phenotype-associated variants identified in dogs and other domestic animals.ResultsThe R-package variantscanR enables the filtering of variant call format (VCF) files for the presence of known phenotype-associated variants and allows for the estimation of genetic diversity using multi-sample VCF files. Next to this, additional functions are available for the quality control and processing of user-defined input files to make the workflow as easy and straightforward as possible. This user-friendly approach enables the standardisation of complex data analysis in clinical settings.ConclusionWe developed an R-package for the identification of known phenotype-associated variants and calculation of genetic diversity.

Agro-morphological traits-based genetic diversity assessment on oat (Avena sativa L.) genotypes in the central highlands of Ethiopia

The study aimed to estimate the extent of genetic variability, heritability, and expected genetic gain attributable to agro-morphological traits and to suggest an effective selection scheme and specify promising genotypes for future oat breeding programs. One hundred twenty oat (Avena sativa L.) genotypes were evaluated at two locations in the central highlands of Ethiopia. The analysis of variance indicated that the mean squares due to locations and genotype x location interaction varied significantly for some measured traits while that of genotypes varied significantly (P ≤ 0.001) among all studied traits. Moreover, the estimates of genetic variability, heritability, and expected genetic advance indicate the presence of remarkable genetic diversity in oat genotypes and the magnitude of selection response for these traits in the population to develop superior genotypes for oat improvement. The result revealed that very high to moderately high heritability in a broad sense (h2 b) coupled with high to moderate genetic advance as percent of mean (GAM) were recorded for forage dry matter yield (h2 b = 64.4%; GAM = 19.3%), number of leaves at forage harvest (h2 b = 86.4%; GAM = 19.9%), stem dry matter yield (h2 b = 62.9%; GAM = 18.3%), forage yield production rate (h2 b = 69.7%; GAM = 21.7%), grain yield (h2 b = 64.2%; GAM = 26.1%), panicle length at grain harvest (h2 b = 80.9%; GAM = 21.9%), number of spikes per panicle (h2 b = 68.8%; GAM = 16.0%), and harvest index (h2 b = 80.9%; GAM = 26.0%). The results suggested that these traits are governed more by additive gene action, and selection based on these traits could be effective to achieve the desired genetic gains for improvement. Therefore, high forage dry matter and grain yielding genotypes along with these desirable yield-related traits could be considered for selection in oat genotypes.

Testing the efficacy of different molecular tools for parasite conservation genetics: a case study using horsehair worms (Phylum: Nematomorpha).

In recent years, parasite conservation has become a globally significant issue. Because of this, there is a need for standardized methods for inferring population status and possible cryptic diversity. However, given the lack of molecular data for some groups, it is challenging to establish procedures for genetic diversity estimation. Therefore, universal tools, such as double-digest restriction-site-associated DNA sequencing (ddRADseq), could be useful when conducting conservation genetic studies on rarely studied parasites. Here, we generated a ddRADseq dataset that includes all 3 described Taiwanese horsehair worms (Phylum: Nematomorpha), possibly one of the most understudied animal groups. Additionally, we produced data for a fragment of the cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COXI) for the said species. We used the COXI dataset in combination with previously published sequences of the same locus for inferring the effective population size (Ne) trends and possible population genetic structure.We found that a larger and geographically broader sample size combined with more sequenced loci resulted in a better estimation of changes in Ne. We were able to detect demographic changes associated with Pleistocene events in all the species. Furthermore, the ddRADseq dataset for Chordodes formosanus did not reveal a genetic structure based on geography, implying a great dispersal ability, possibly due to its hosts. We showed that different molecular tools can be used to reveal genetic structure and demographic history at different historical times and geographical scales, which can help with conservation genetic studies in rarely studied parasites.

An Experimental Study of Genetic Divergence in Fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum L.)

A research work on genetic divergence, analysis was estimated in 75 genotypes of fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum L.) grown in an Augmented Block Design during Rabi season of 2019-20 at Main Experiment Station of Department of Vegetable Science Acharya Narendra Deva University of Agriculture and Technology, Ayodhya. The objective of this study was to characterize morphological differences and yield related traits among 75 fenugreek accessions. Genetic diversity among 75 fenugreek genotypes (Trigonella foenum-graecum L.) was assessed. The estimation of genetic diversity among tested genotypes was highly significant, which got grouped into 8 clusters with cluster VI comprising maximum genotypes. Maximum intra-cluster distance (31.23) was observed in cluster V followed by cluster IV (15.51). Similarly maximum inter cluster distance was recorded between the cluster V and VIII (111.88) followed by cluster III and VIII (111.81) respectively. Although maximum cluster means for seed yield traits was recorded for cluster V and III respectively, suggesting a wide range of diversity for most of the economic traits that would enable breeder to identify the genotypes with suitable traits to be used in direct selection and also in improvement programme for broadening the genetic base. 75 accession showed distinguished variation in the dendrogram for all the studied parameters.

Genetic diversity of mtDNA in the grey wolf population of Belarus threatened by wolf-dog admixture

Hybridisation with domestic species is one of the prominent threats to conser-vation of numerous valuable species in Belarus, in particular the grey wolf (Canis lupus Linnaeus, 1758), the population of which has previously shown unusually divergent genotypes, indicating a possible admixture with free-ranging dogs (Canis lupus familiaris Linnaeus, 1758). Such admixture could threaten the future of the species already weakened by anthropogenic pressure. Reports of hybrids in Belarus based on morphological characteristics have been steadily increasing in frequency since 2010, which can be tied with a growing food availability for feral dogs and low population density of grey wolf facili-tating hybridisation. A limited number of genetic studies with sampling that partially covered Belarus did not detect any traces of hybridisation. Here we report our estimate of genetic diversity in the Belarusian population of grey wolf according to control region (D-loop) mtDNA sequence analysis. We ana-lysed tissue samples from 35 specimens harvested during legal hunts across 25 administrative districts from all 6 regions of Belarus between 2009 and 2022, with 9 of the specimens reported to have morphological characteristics of wolf–dog hybrids. We detected 6 haplotypes among those 35 specimens, 4 of which were found among the likely wolf–dog hybrids. Clade analysis of the obtained sequences with 100 confirmed sequences of wolves, dogs, and their hybrids from the NCBI Genbank database has shown the presence of possible wolf–dog hybrids in our sample. The Belarusian wolf population has shown a low nucleotide and a relatively high haplotype diversity. The discovered genet-ic diversity data of the Belarusian wolf population is mostly in line with studies of similar wolf populations across Europe. The persistence of large wolf meta-populations across Eastern Europe and Russia, combined with the high mobility of the animal, seems to be the probable cause of genetic diversity of wolf populations in Belarus, but some degree of wolf–dog hybridisation could also explain the observed genetic heterogeneity, which invites further research based on nuclear markers.

Estimation of genetic variability, character association and path coefficient using sugarcane segregating population

Estimation of genetic variability, character association and path coefficient using sugarcane segregating population