Genetic distinctiveness of the Herdwick sheep breed and two other locally adapted hill breeds of the UK.

ABSTRACT: There is considerable interest in locally adapted breeds of livestock as reservoirs of genetic diversity that may provide important fitness traits for future use in agriculture. In marginal areas, these animals contribute to food security and extract value from land unsuitable for other systems of farming. In England, close to 50% of the national sheep flock is farmed on grassland designated as disadvantaged areas for agricultural production. Many of these areas are in the uplands, where some native breeds of sheep continue to be commercially farmed only in highly localised geographical regions to which they are adapted. This study focuses on three of these breeds, selected for their adaptation to near identical environments and their geographical concentration in regions close to one anot

SUBMITTER: Bowles D 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3906253 | biostudies-literature | 2014

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature