Genetic Structure and Differentiation of Three Indian Goat Breeds (Report‪)‬

INTRODUCTION Kutchi, Mehsana and Sirohi breeds of goat are found in semi-arid to arid regions of North-Western India. These breeds had previously been described on the basis of phenotype and/or geographical distribution (Acharya, 1982). They are highly adapted to their environment and are an important economic resource especially to farmers of the region. The classification of these breeds based on phenotype and/or geographical distribution may not actually characterize the genetic structure of population because genetically similar individuals might be labeled differently because of distinct geography and/or phenotype. On the other hand, geographic overlap or phenotypic similarity may mask underlying genetic variation. Moreover, they share their breeding area and there may be intermixing of these breeds/populations which may cause dilution of genetic structure.