title: The differentiation of camel breeds based on meat measurements using discriminant analysis.
abstract: The meat productivity of camel in the tropics is still under investigation for identification of better meat breed or type. Therefore, four one-humped Saudi Arabian (SA) camel breeds, Majaheem, Maghateer, Hamrah, and Safrah were experimented in order to differentiate them from each other based on meat measurements. The measurements were biometrical meat traits measured on six intact males from each breed. The results showed higher values of the Majaheem breed than that obtained for the other breeds except few cases such dressing percentage and rib-eye area. In differentiation analysis, the most discriminating meat variables were myofibrillar protein index, meat color components (L* and a*, b*), and cooking loss. Consequently, the Safrah and the Majaheem breeds presented the largest dissimilarity as evidenced by their multivariate means. The canonical discriminant analysis allowed an additional understanding of the differentiation between breeds. Furthermore, two large clusters, one formed by Hamrah and Maghateer in one group along with Safrah. These classifications may assign each breed into one cluster considering they are better as meat producers. The Majaheem was clustered alone in another cluster that might be a result of being better as milk producers. Nevertheless, the productivity type of the camel breeds of SA needs further morphology and genetic descriptions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Production, College of Food and Agricultural Sciences, King Saud University, P.O Box 2460, 11451, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. raedatiyat@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Raed Mahmoud
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Al-Atiyat
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Production, College of Food and Agricultural Sciences, King Saud University, P.O Box 2460, 11451, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Gamal
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Suliman
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Production, College of Food and Agricultural Sciences, King Saud University, P.O Box 2460, 11451, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Entissar
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: AlSuhaibani
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Production, College of Food and Agricultural Sciences, King Saud University, P.O Box 2460, 11451, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Ahmad
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: El-Waziry
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Production, College of Food and Agricultural Sciences, King Saud University, P.O Box 2460, 11451, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Abdullah
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Al-Owaimer
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Production, College of Food and Agricultural Sciences, King Saud University, P.O Box 2460, 11451, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Saeid
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Basmaeil
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001823:Body Composition / Q000235:genetics; D001947:Breeding; D002162:Camelus / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D016002:Discriminant Analysis; D008297:Male; D008460:Meat / Q000032:analysis*
keywords: Canonical analysis; Carcass; Dromedary; Semi-arid; Tropics