Second Edition of Morpho-Functional and Genetic Characterization of Local Breeds

Dear Colleagues,

Hunting and harvesting humans became farmers during the Neolithic period, when they started growing plants and tending animals. New Neolithic societies flourished and succeeded, starting the colonization of the world accompanied by their genetic resources. These genetic resources became adapted to a wide scope of environments, by means of genetic processes such as genetic drift, mutation, migration, and natural or induced selection. This diversification produced thousands of locally adapted breeds in several species, becoming the protagonist for food production until the arrival of the industrial revolution, when extensive farming was progressively substituted by intensive systems. At this point, hundreds of local breeds became endangered, and many of them disappeared. The second half of the 20th century was characterized by a general growing concern for the survival of these populations, especially in occidental countries, and many conservation programs were implemented. However, currently, many breeds are close to extinction, even if some of them are still to be discovered. The first step toward conservation is the definition and characterization of the breeds, and in the present issue, we offer a platform for the dissemination of the important findings obtained in the world through high-level research regarding the morphological (multivariate analysis involving quantitative and qualitative traits), productive (milk, meat, wool and fibers, eggs, sport and work, behavior, etc.), and genetic characterization (DNA markers, demography) of domestic species’ local breeds. International studies involving several local breeds in the aforementioned areas will be welcomed.

Prof. Dr. Juan Vicente Delgado Bermejo
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Animals is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Prof. Dr. Juan Vicente Delgado Bermejo
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Animals is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.