Genetic Variability and Population Structure of Camelus from Kazakhstan Inferred from 17 STR Markers
Shaltenbay G. Ualiyeva D. Kapassuly T. Kozhakhmet A. Orazymbetova Z. Kulboldin T. Yergali K. Amandykova M. Bekmanov B. Dossybayev K.
July 2025Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute (MDPI)
Diversity
2025#17Issue 7
Camels have been essential to human survival and development across the arid Central Asian steppes, particularly in Kazakhstan, where the breeding of one-humped and two-humped camels is a longstanding tradition supporting the nomadic lifestyle. This study aimed to assess the genetic diversity and population structure of these camels across their distribution range in Kazakhstan. Blood samples from 100 individuals were collected from five locations, Almaty (ALA), Atyrau (ATR), Shymkent (SHK), Kyzylorda (KZL), and Taraz (TRZ), and genotyped using 17 microsatellite markers. All loci were polymorphic, with a mean observed heterozygosity of 0.707 in C. dromedarius and 0.643 in C. bactrianus. The highest expected heterozygosity (He = 0.939) was observed at VOLP67 in C. bactrianus and at VOLP03 in C. dromedarius. Genetic differentiation was low (FST = 0.021), indicating a weak population structure between the two species with substantial gene flow (Nm = 19.972). The hybrid analysis identified 31% hybrids, including F1, F2, and backcrosses, with the highest frequencies in KZL and TRZ, moderate frequencies in ATR, and lowest frequencies in SHK and ALA. These patterns, consistent with STRUCTURE clustering, reflect widespread but regionally variable hybridization. The phylogenetic analysis revealed three clades, separating Bactrian camels (ALA), dromedaries (SHK), and a hybrid group (ATR, KZL, and TRZ). These findings enhance our understanding of the genetic diversity of Kazakhstan’s camels and support effective conservation, breeding strategies, and genotyping applications in camel husbandry.
camels , genetic variability , Kazakhstan , microsatellite loci , population admixture
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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
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, 610041, China
Kazakh Research Institute of Livestock and Fodder Production, Almaty, 050035, Kazakhstan
Institute of Genetics and Physiology
Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics
Institute of Zoology
Chengdu Institute of Biology
Kazakh Research Institute of Livestock and Fodder Production
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