title: Geographical assessment of body measurements and qualitative traits in West African cattle.
abstract: A total of 1015 adult cows belonging to nine West African cattle breeds were assessed for 16 body measurements and 18 qualitative traits to ascertain the existence of geographical patterns of variation. Sampling was carried out in 29 different provinces of Mali, Burkina Faso and Benin. For body measurements, taurine breeds took lower average values than the zebu breeds. Sanga cattle took intermediate values. Qualitative traits did not allow to differentiate among cattle groups (taurine, zebu or sanga) or breeds. Principal component analysis identified two factors explaining 56.4 and 9.2 % of the variance for body measurements, respectively. Two correspondence analysis dimensions computed on qualitative traits explained a small proportion of the variability (20.8 and 13.5 %, respectively). Contour plots were constructed using the eigenvalues computed for each individual and either factor or dimension identified; confidence regions calculated confirmed that body measurements clearly differentiated zebu and taurine cattle breeds while qualitative traits did not. Factor 1 was projected on a geographical map, using provinces as nodes, to assess breed-free variation for body measurements. A pattern of continuous variation from the Sahel area southwards was identified. Probably, breeding decisions promoting the crosses between zebu-like and taurine cattle are underlying this geographical pattern of variation. The implementation of selection strategies aiming at the increase of the productivity of native West African taurine cattle breeds while avoiding looses in trypanotolerant ability would be highly advisable.
authors.affiliation: INERA, 04 BP 8645, Ouagadougou 04, Burkina Faso.
authors.forename: Amadou
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Traoré
authors.affiliation: INRAB Benin, 01 BP 884 RP, Cotonou, Benin.
authors.forename: Delphin Oloronto
authors.initials: DO
authors.lastname: Koudandé
authors.affiliation: SERIDA-Deva, Camino de Rioseco 1225, E-33394, Deva-Gijón, Asturias, Spain.
authors.forename: Iván
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Fernández
authors.affiliation: Université de Koudougou, BP 376, Koudougou, Burkina Faso.
authors.forename: Albert
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Soudré
authors.affiliation: Fundación CETEMAS, Finca Experimental La Mata s/n, E-33820, Grado, Asturias, Spain.
authors.forename: Víctor
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Granda
authors.affiliation: SERIDA-Deva, Camino de Rioseco 1225, E-33394, Deva-Gijón, Asturias, Spain.
authors.forename: Isabel
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Álvarez
authors.affiliation: IPR-IFRA, BP 06, Koulikoro, Bamako, Mali.
authors.forename: Siaka
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Diarra
authors.affiliation: IPR-IFRA, BP 06, Koulikoro, Bamako, Mali.
authors.forename: Fousseyni
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Diarra
authors.affiliation: INERA, 04 BP 8645, Ouagadougou 04, Burkina Faso.
authors.forename: Adama
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kaboré
authors.affiliation: INERA, 04 BP 8645, Ouagadougou 04, Burkina Faso.
authors.forename: Moumouni
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sanou
authors.affiliation: INERA, 04 BP 8645, Ouagadougou 04, Burkina Faso.
authors.forename: Hamidou Hamadou
authors.initials: HH
authors.lastname: Tamboura
authors.affiliation: SERIDA-Deva, Camino de Rioseco 1225, E-33394, Deva-Gijón, Asturias, Spain. fgoyache@serida.org.
authors.forename: Félix
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Goyache
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001541:Benin; D001699:Biometry; D001824:Body Constitution; D001947:Breeding; D002050:Burkina Faso; D002417:Cattle / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D005260:Female; D005843:Geography; D008302:Mali; D010641:Phenotype; D025341:Principal Component Analysis
keywords: Cattle breeds; Geographical patterns of variation; Linear measurements; Qualitative traits