Metabolic adaptation and genetic differentiation of cattle populations along the range of the Simien Mountains in Ethiopia
Abstract
The Semien Mountains are the highest mountain range of Ethiopia, peaking at the Ras Dashen (4620 m), the fifth highest mountain of Africa. Cattle are kept at altitudes of up to almost 4000 m. Along the western side of the mountain range, there is a rather continuous drop in altitude down to about 600 m, over a rather short distance (250 km). Climatic conditions at the high and low land areas of this range are extremely different. As cattle are kept all along the range, a continuum of breeds/populations is present which are probably at least to some degree adapted to the specific conditions prevailing. An earlier study showed the phenotypic differentiation of the cattle populations,the cattle described were partly of different type (Zebu, Sanga) and partly a mixture (Zenga = Zebu x Sanga). The phenotypic differentiation in terms of body size along levels of altitude was strong. The smallest animals were found in the highlands, size increased with declining altitude but animals tended to be smaller again in the actual lowlands In this study, three interlinked investigations are executed to characterize indigenous cattle genetic resources of North-western Ethiopia. A large number of approx. 800 animals will be sampled. Metabolic parameters related to altitude adaptation are heart rate, respiratory rate, haematological parameters (haemoglobin, haematocrit, packed cell volume), arterial oxygen saturation measured by pulse oximetry and pulmonary artery pressure measured by right heart catheterization. Molecular characterization with a set of 30 microsatellite markers will be performed to verify the assignment of animals to populations and to estimate the relative diversity within and between sample populations. As a third module, an on-farm investigation of the production and reproduction performance of local cattle genotypes under their respective ecology and management standards is undertaken.
keywords metabolic adaptation high altitude sickness cattle Ethiopia DEV-FORUM Associate Project
Publikationen
Project staff
Johann Sölkner
Univ.Prof. Dipl.-Ing. Dr.nat.techn. Johann Sölkner
johann.soelkner@boku.ac.at
Tel: +43 1 47654-93201, 93231
Project Leader
15.10.2007 - 14.10.2010
Maria Wurzinger
Priv.-Doz. Dr. Maria Wurzinger
maria.wurzinger@boku.ac.at
Tel: +43 1 47654-93001, 93220, 93414
Project Staff
15.10.2007 - 14.10.2010
BOKU partners
External partners
International Livestock Research Institute
Dessie TADELLE
partner
Sustainable Resource Management Program in North Gondar
Zewdu WULETAW
partner
International Atomic Energy Agency
Paul BOETTCHER
partner