Small Ruminant Genetics and Breeding

Dear Colleagues,

Small ruminants, such as sheep (Ovis aries) and goats (Capra hircus), were among the first animals to be domesticated, with historical evidence linking them to Western Asia approximately 9000–12,000 years ago. Domesticated sheep and goats provided early humans with a supply of fiber, pelt, meat, and milk. Owing to their small stature and versatility, small ruminants have become steadily important in the global rural economy, especially in the arid and semi-arid regions. Furthermore, the demand for meat and milk in developing countries is constantly increasing, and a sustainable increase in small ruminant production would therefore be desirable in order to meet the demands of the human population on livestock populations and their products.

Genetic improvement can substantially promote the efficiency of animal production, by increasing the performance of small ruminant flocks or populations over time with the use of genetically superior animals. A prerequisite is to select the most desirable breed or breed combination, and to define the breeding objectives.

Over the last two decades, advances in DNA technology have dramatically increased the efficiency and the affordability of gaining genome information, leading to the development of fast, cost-effective, and more accurate methods for the implementation of breeding programs.

For this Topical Collection, original research manuscripts covering all aspects of small ruminant genetics, such as population genetics, breed investigation and characterization, quantitative genetics, QTL and marker assisted selection, genomic selection, gene polymorphisms, and genome-wide association studies, are welcome.

Dr. Dimitrios Loukovitis
Collection Editor

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