Winton Clare L, McMahon Robert, Hegarty Matthew J, McEwan Neil R, Davies-Morel Mina C G, Morgan Charly, Nash Deborah M
Institute of Biological Environmental and Rural Sciences Aberystwyth University Aberystwyth UK.
Molecular Haematology Haematology Laboratory Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh Edinburgh UK.
Ecol Evol. 2020 Jan 27;10(3):1352-1367. doi: 10.1002/ece3.5989. eCollection 2020 Feb.
The UK and Ireland have many native pony breeds with historical and cultural importance as well as being a source of uncharacterized genetic diversity. However, there is a lack of comprehensive research investigating their genetic diversity and phylogenetic interrelationships. Many studies contain a limited number of pony breeds or small sample sizes for these breeds. This may result in erroneous grouping of pony breeds that otherwise have intricate interrelationships with each other and are not evaluated correctly when placed as a token subset of a larger dataset. This is the first study that specifically investigates the genetic diversity within and between British and Irish native pony breeds using large sample numbers from locations of their native origin. This study used a panel of microsatellite markers and sequence analysis of the mitochondrial control region to analyze the genetic diversity within and between 11 pony breeds from Britain and Ireland. A large dataset was collected (a total of 485 animals were used for mtDNA analysis and 450 for microsatellite analysis), and previously published data were used to place the British and Irish ponies in a global context. The native ponies of Britain and Ireland were found to have had a complex history, and the interrelationships between the breeds were revealed. Overall, high levels of genetic diversity were maintained in native breeds, although some reduction was evident in small or isolated populations (Shetland, Carneddau, and Section C). Unusual mitochondrial diversity distribution patterns were apparent for the Carneddau and Dartmoor, although among breeds and global haplogroups there was a high degree of haplotype sharing evident, well-represented within British and Irish ponies. Ancestral maternal diversity was maintained by most populations, particularly the Fells and Welsh ponies, which exhibited rare and ancient lineages. The maternal and paternal histories of the breeds are distinct, with male-biased crossings between native breeds, and other shared influences, likely Arabs and Thoroughbreds, are apparent. The data generated herein provide valuable information to guide and implement the conservation of increasingly rare native genetic resources.
英国和爱尔兰拥有许多具有历史和文化重要性的本土矮种马品种，同时也是未被表征的遗传多样性的来源。然而，缺乏全面的研究来调查它们的遗传多样性和系统发育的相互关系。许多研究包含的矮种马品种数量有限，或者这些品种的样本量较小。这可能导致矮种马品种的错误分组，否则它们之间具有复杂的相互关系，并且当作为更大数据集的一个象征性子集放置时，没有得到正确的评估。这是第一项专门使用来自其原生地的大量样本，调查英国和爱尔兰本土矮种马品种内部和之间遗传多样性的研究。本研究使用一组微卫星标记和线粒体控制区的序列分析，来分析来自英国和爱尔兰的11个矮种马品种内部和之间的遗传多样性。收集了一个大型数据集（总共485只动物用于线粒体DNA分析，450只用于微卫星分析），并使用先前发表的数据将英国和爱尔兰矮种马置于全球背景下。发现英国和爱尔兰的本土矮种马有着复杂的历史，并揭示了品种之间的相互关系。总体而言，本土品种中保持了高水平的遗传多样性，尽管在小群体或孤立群体（设得兰矮种马、卡内多矮种马和C组）中明显有所减少。卡内多矮种马和达特穆尔矮种马呈现出不寻常的线粒体多样性分布模式，尽管在品种和全球单倍群之间有高度的单倍型共享，在英国和爱尔兰矮种马中得到了很好的体现。大多数群体，特别是费尔斯矮种马和威尔士矮种马，保持了祖先的母系多样性，它们展现出稀有和古老的谱系。这些品种的母系和父系历史是不同的，本土品种之间存在雄性偏向的杂交，并且其他共同的影响，可能是阿拉伯马和纯种马，很明显。本文生成的数据提供了有价值的信息，以指导和实施对日益稀有的本土遗传资源的保护。
