Research opportunities in the field of animal genetic resources |
| |
Authors: | Ricardo A. Cardellino Jean Boyazoglu |
| |
Affiliation: | aUniversidade Federal de Pelotas, Departamento de Zootecnia, 96100-900 Pelotas, RS, Brazil;bAristotle University, Department of Livestock Sciences, GR -54124 Thessaloniki, Greece |
| |
Abstract: | Animal genetic resources are those animal species that are used, or may be used, for the production of food and agriculture, and the populations within each of them. The working unit of a database for farm animal genetic resources is the breed, a term taken in its widest possible sense to mean a population within the species, possessing a number of particular traits that permit the grouping of these animals under a common label and are associated to geographical areas and human groups. Research opportunities cover a wide range of thematic areas. The biggest gap in knowledge is animal breeding for local populations in harsh environments. There is also a lack of research in functional genetics and genomics of adaptation and disease resistance traits. By comparison, breed characterization, in particular molecular characterization, has been a more popular research subject. The same can be said for conservation, although some fundamental questions on genetic diversity and risk of its loss are still unanswered. Research is required to understand the socio-economic, infrastructural, technical and formal constraints that limit the operation of sustainable conservation programs in less developed countries. Information systems on animal genetic resources need input from research and data capture networks, in order to achieve a reasonable degree of completeness. Economic analysis and issues related to gene flow and access and benefit sharing should also profit from more research. |
| |
Keywords: | Farm animal biodiversity Domestic animal diversity Breed characterization Animal breeding Conservation Livestock diversity Livestock breeds |
本文献已被 ScienceDirect 等数据库收录! |
|