title: Hierarchical structure of the Sicilian goats revealed by Bayesian analyses of microsatellite information.
abstract: Genetic structure and relationship amongst the main goat populations in Sicily (Girgentana, Derivata di Siria, Maltese and Messinese) were analysed using information from 19 microsatellite markers genotyped on 173 individuals. A posterior Bayesian approach implemented in the program STRUCTURE revealed a hierarchical structure with two clusters at the first level (Girgentana vs. Messinese, Derivata di Siria and Maltese), explaining 4.8% of variation (amovaФ(ST) estimate). Seven clusters nested within these first two clusters (further differentiations of Girgentana, Derivata di Siria and Maltese), explaining 8.5% of variation (amovaФ(SC) estimate). The analyses and methods applied in this study indicate their power to detect subtle population structure.
authors.affiliation: Department SEnFiMiZo, University of Palermo, Viale delle Scienze Parco d'Orleans 90128 Palermo, Italy. siwek@utp.edu.pl
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Siwek
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Finocchiaro
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Curik
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Portolano
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001499:Bayes Theorem; D001947:Breeding; D006041:Goats / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics*; D018895:Microsatellite Repeats; D010375:Pedigree; D012802:Sicily