Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
Table 3.4
Continued
No. of
foundation
breeds
No. of
foundation
breeds
†
Composite breed/
population
Composite breed/
population
†
Country
Country
Tajikistan
United
Kingdom
Soviet Mohair
2 (1962)
Tanzania
2 (1925)
a
British Alpine
Blended goat
3
British Cashmere
5
T o g o
British Saanen
2
V o g a n
2
British Toggenburg
2
T u r k e y
English Guernsey
2
†
Angora
2 (1900)
a
Golden Guernsey
2
†
(1970)
a
B o r n o v a
3
U.S.
Ç ukurova
2
Kinder
2 (1988)
a
Kilis
2
Pygora
2 (1987)
a
Taurus
2 (1973)
Uzbekistan
Turkmen
Soviet Mohair
2 (1962)
Soviet Mohair
2 (1962)
Uzbek
2
United
Kingdom
Uzbek Black
2 (1961)
Anglo - Nubian
4 (1910)
a
British
3 (1896)
a
a
Year of origin or year recognized.
†
Year breed's society, association, or stud topic was established.
Sources: Mason (1996) ; Shrestha (2005) .
characteristics and production performance could be ben-
efi cial in conservation through utilization (Shrestha, 2005).
Conservation may be in situ (that is, in the location where
the breed population naturally exists) or ex situ, where the
animals are translocated to different areas as in the case of
ecofarms, zoos, reserves, and historical sites. The ex situ
conservation of germplasm (frozen gametes, embryos, or
somatic tissues) has achieved considerable success in
goats. The subsequent propagation of the breed population
should occur without disrupting the cultural integrity, reli-
gious rituals, traditions, political affairs, and food security
among nations.
The conservation of domestic livestock and poultry that
fi rst began in the U.K. with the “Rare Breeds Survival
Trust” has spread to a number of countries in the world.
The FAO instigated a global initiative for the conservation
of domestic animals and published a World Watch list of
domestic animal diversity (FAO, 2000). Furthermore, the
Nordic Gene Bank of Farm Animals is one of the most
advanced conservation institutions. Following the ratifi ca-
tion of the Convention on Biodiversity, many countries in
the world have realized the importance of conserving
domestic animal diversity and started identifying and char-
acterizing indigenous and established domestic animal
populations, as well as preserving their genetic resources.
Active participation in their preservation is being achieved
in cooperation with conservationists, biologists, geneti-
cists, archaeologists, and breeders as well as nongovern-
mental organizations.
SUMMARY
Goat is among the earliest livestock that was domesticated
around 9000 to 10,000 BC at the border between Iran and
Iraq. The zoo-archaeological records that predate the time
of domestication indicate that the ancestors of the present-
day domestic goats started from three genetically distinct
maternal lineages rather than a single wild population.
Wild goats of the Bezoar or Pasang (
Capra aegagrus
aegagrus
), Makhol (
C. aegagrus falconer
), and Ibex (
C.
aegagrus ibex
) types are believed to be the ancestors of
domestic goats worldwide. Pastoralists moved with their
goats in different directions spreading goats to different
