The Guzerat breed is well adapted to the tropical conditions of Brazil. After 1940, the widespread use of Guzerat cattle for crossing has reduced its population size. In 1994, a selection program for milk production traits was initiated in some purebred herds. However, its success is compromised by genetic drift and an increased inbreeding coefficient (F). The objective of this study was to evaluate the genetic status of the Guzerat population under selection for milk production in order to monitor genetic variability. Genealogical data from 10,051 animals were used to estimate genetic parameters. The average F for all animals and for inbred animals in the pedigree was 0.009 and 0.025, respectively. Average relatedness was 0.011. The average generation interval was 7.48 years and the linear increase in F per generation was 0.0051. There was no trend of changes in the effective population size along generations, with the observation of an effective size of 98 in the last generation evaluated. The effective number of founders and ancestors was 318 and 101, respectively. Only 47 of 2106 ancestors contributed to 50% of the reference population. The bottleneck effect was 3.15. Average F and relatedness values are still low despite non-random mating. However, the reduced effective population size and effective number of ancestors indicate a risk of an increase in the inbreeding coefficient and genetic drift and consequent loss of variability.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
customersupport@researchsolutions.com
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Copyright © 2025 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.