Genetic Diversity and Population Structure of Fat-Tailed Coarse-Wooled Sheep Breeds Ovis aries from Kazakhstan
Dossybayev K. Ualiyeva D. Kapassuly T. Amandykova M. Kozhahmet A. Bekmanov B. Amzeyev R. Naruya S.
October 2025Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute (MDPI)
Veterinary Sciences
2025#12Issue 10
Sheep play a central role in Kazakhstan’s pastoral economy, yet the maternal genetic composition of its traditional breeds remains poorly characterized. We analyzed partial mitochondrial D-loop sequences (848 bp) from 115 individuals of three fat-tailed coarse-wooled breeds (Edilbay, Kazakh fat-tailed coarse-wooled, and Gissar) to assess genetic diversity, population structure, and phylogenetic relationships. Ninety-eight haplotypes were identified, indicating high haplotype diversity (Hd = 0.996 ± 0.002) and moderate nucleotide diversity (π = 0.02624 ± 0.00048). Haplotypes clustered into haplogroups A (57.4%) and B (42.6%), with Edilbay dominating the star-like cluster of haplogroup A, consistent with recent expansion. AMOVA revealed that most variation (92.03%) occurred within populations, with no significant differentiation among breeds. Phylogenetic analyses placed Edilbay close to the most recent common ancestor of fat-tailed domestic sheep and the wild Ovis species, suggesting retention of an ancestral lineage. These findings highlight Kazakhstan as a genetic crossroads in sheep history and underscore the conservation value of its maternal diversity.
Central Asia , domestic sheep , genetic diversity , mtDNA , population dynamics
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Laboratory of Animal Genetics and Cytogenetics, RSE Institute of Genetics and Physiology, Science Committee, Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Almaty, 050060, Kazakhstan
Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Faculty of Biology and Biotechnology, Al-Farabi Kazakh National University, Almaty, 050040, Kazakhstan
Laboratory of Molecular Genetic Examination, LLP Kazakh Research Institute of Livestock and Fodder Production, Almaty, 050035, Kazakhstan
Institute of Zoology, Science Committee, Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Almaty, 050060, Kazakhstan
Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu, 610213, China
Faculty of Natural Sciences and Geography, Abai Kazakh National Pedagogical University, Almaty, 050010, Kazakhstan
Division of Population Genetics, National Institute of Genetics, 1111 Yata, Shizuoka, Mishima, 411-8540, Japan
Laboratory of Animal Genetics and Cytogenetics
Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics
Laboratory of Molecular Genetic Examination
Institute of Zoology
Chengdu Institute of Biology
Faculty of Natural Sciences and Geography
Division of Population Genetics
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