Surviving the Heat: Genetic Diversity and Adaptation in Sudanese Butana Cattle.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Butana are native Sudanese Bos indicus cattle that are well adapted to arid environments and valued for their relatively high milk performance and resilience under harsh conditions. Despite their adaptive advantages, Butana cattle face the risk of genetic erosion due to low production performance and the absence of structured breeding programs underscoring the urgent need to conserve their unique genetic potential for climate-resilient livestock development.

Methods

In this study, we analyzed whole-genome sequencing data from 40 Butana cattle to assess their genetic diversity, population structure, signatures of selection, and potential pathogen load.

Results

Butana cattle exhibited high nucleotide diversity and low levels of inbreeding, indicating a

SUBMITTER: Neumann GB 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12732583 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature