The only place to see an aurochs in nature these days? A cave painting. The enormous wild cattle that once roamed the European plains have been extinct since 1627, when the last survivor died in a Polish nature reserve. But this could soon change thanks to the work of European preservationists who are hoping they … Continue reading
Category Archives: Animal Breeding
Africa’s native livestock key to a sustainable food supply
‘African livestock breeds have successfully adapted to many diseases and climatic changes ‘The genetically diverse and “exquisitely well adapted” traits of Africa’s livestock should be better harnessed to meet the continent’s needs. ‘Seventy per cent of Africa’s rural poor keep livestock and 200 million people depend on the animals for their livelihoods. ‘African livestock breeds … Continue reading
Afrikas vieh als wertvolle genetische resource–Forscher raten zur anlage von bio-banken
‘Die genetische Vielfalt von afrikanischem Vieh muss unbedingt und raschest in Bio-Banken gespeichert werden. ‘Das fordern Forscher in einem Artikel im Wissenschaftsmagazin Science. “Die in Afrika vorhandenen nativen Zuchten haben sich den zum Teil sehr schwierigen Lebensbedingungen gut anpassen können”, so Studien Co-Autor Olivier Hanotte, Professor für Genetik an der University of Nottingham im pressetext-Interview. … Continue reading
Animal Breeding / Biotechnology / Fish / USA
Genetically altered salmon get closer to US tables
‘The [US] Food and Drug Administration is seriously considering whether to approve the first genetically engineered animal that people would eat — salmon that can grow at twice the normal rate. ‘The developer of the salmon has been trying to get approval for a decade. But the company now seems to have submitted most or … Continue reading
African livestock offers ‘untapped genetic resource’
The genetic diversity of Africa’s indigenous livestock needs to be tapped before it is lost forever, researchers have warned. They said native breeds had adapted to tolerate parasites or produce “robust” milk yields in harsh conditions. Writing in the journal science, they added that these traits had yet to be unlocked by the scientific community. … Continue reading
Livestock biodiversity and conservation gets a global view
Animal Genetics has a Special Issue on “A Global View of Livestock Biodiversity and Conservation,” coordinated by Paolo Ajmone-Marsan and Licia Colli. Read more … (Agricultural Biodiversity Weblog) Continue reading
Regional workshop on sustainable management of animal genetic resources in Central and West Africa
FAO, in collaboration with the regional project on sustainable management of endemic ruminant livestock (PROGEBE), organized on 22–25 March 2010, in Dakar, Senegal, a regional workshop on sustainable management of animal genetic resources in West and Central Africa. The workshop was preceded by an electronic forum hosted by DAD-Net West Africa, which took place between … Continue reading
Animal Breeding / Asia / Biodiversity / India / Indigenous Breeds / Livestock / South Asia
Biocultural protocols: empowering stewards of livestock diversity
Herders of camels, cattle, sheep and goats, the Raika pastoralists of North West India have an interesting account of their origins: created by Lord Shiva from the skin and sweat of the camel, they were charged with controlling the beast, whose stubborn behaviour was becoming a nuisance. But Raika guardianship extends beyond their livestock. In … Continue reading
Livestock keepers: Guardians of biodiversity
Smallholder farmers and pastoralists fulfill an invaluable yet undervalued role in conserving biodiversity. They act as guardians of locally adapted livestock breeds that can make use of even marginal environments under tough climatic conditions and therefore are a crucial resource for food security and possibly for adapting to climate change. But in addition, by sustaining … Continue reading
Animal Breeding / Asia / Buffalo / India / Livestock / South Asia
NDRI produce the world’s first and second cloned buffalo calves
In June 2009, scientists of National Dairy Research Institute, Karnal have developed the landmark technique i.e. “Handguided Cloning Technique” and have produced the world’s first and second cloned buffalo calves. This technique is simpler and is an advanced modification of the “Conventional Cloning Technique” which was used for the production of the cloned sheep “Dolly”. … Continue reading
ILRI Clippings 