title: MARKER ASSISTED EVALUATION OF MORPHOLOGICAL AND GENETIC ATTRIBUTES OF SUB-POPULATIONS OF NILI-RAVI BUFFALO: A VULNERABLE DAIRY TYPE RIVERINE BREED OF INDIA.
abstract: In the present study, we report the distribution of true to type and atypical Nili-Ravi buffalo, a vulnerable dairy type riverine breed of North India and its underlying genetic structure. Out of total investigated buffaloes 73.5% had bilateral wall eyes while 5.4% had unilateral wall eyes and 21.1% had no wall eyes. 41.15% of Nili-Ravi buffaloes maintained in the breeding farm were having typical true to the type characteristics (both eyes walled, white markings in forehead, muzzle/chin, all the four legs and tail) while only 28.5% of Nili-Ravi buffaloes were true to the type under field conditions. Genotypic data were generated in four groups of Nili-Ravi buffalo (FMTNR--Typical Nili-Ravi from farm; FMANR--Atypical Nili-Ravi from farm; FDTNR--Typical Nili-Ravi from field; FDANR--Atypical Nili-Ravi from field) at 16 microsatellite loci. Comparative genetic analysis of various groups of Nili-Ravi buffaloes with Murrah revealed significant between group differences with an estimated global F(ST) of 0.063. Pair-wise F(ST) values ranged from 0.003 (between FDTNR and FDANR) to 0.112 (between FMTNR and FDTNR). Phylogenetic analysis and multi-dimensional scaling revealed clustering of FDTNR and FDANR together while FMTNR and FMANR clustered separately with Murrah in between farm and field Nili-Ravi buffaloes. Based on the results, the paper also proposes three pronged strategy for conservation and sustainable genetic improvement of Nili-Ravi buffalo in India.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Kathiravan
authors.forename: P K
authors.initials: PK
authors.lastname: Dubey
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Goyal
authors.forename: B P
authors.initials: BP
authors.lastname: Mishra
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Singh
authors.forename: S M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Deb
authors.forename: D K
authors.initials: DK
authors.lastname: Sadana
authors.forename: B K
authors.initials: BK
authors.lastname: Joshi
authors.forename: R S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Kataria
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001947:Breeding; D002020:Buffaloes / Q000235:genetics*; D049810:Genetic Speciation; D005828:Genetics, Population; D005838:Genotype; D007194:India; D018895:Microsatellite Repeats / Q000235:genetics*; D010641:Phenotype; D010802:Phylogeny; D012641:Selection, Genetic