Mongolian goats are of great interest for studying ancient migration routes and domestication, and also represent a good model of adaptability to harsh environments. Recent climatic disasters and uncontrolled massive breeding endangered the valuable genetic resources of Mongolian goats and raised the question of their conservation status. Meanwhile, Mongolian goats have never been studied on genomic scale. We used Illumina Goat SNP50 to estimate genetic risks in five Mongolian goat breeds (Buural, Ulgii Red, Gobi GS, Erchim, Dorgon) and explored phylogenic relationships among these populations and in the context of other breeds. Various clustering methods showed that Mongolian goats grouped with other Asian breeds and were especially close to some neighboring Russian and Chinese breeds. The Buural breed showed the lowest estimates of inbreeding and exhibited the shortest genetic distances within the other Mongolian breeds, especially, to Ulgii Red and Gobi GS. These three breeds formed a single core group, being weakly differentiated from each other. Among them, Gobi GS displayed obvious signs of inbreeding probably resulted from artificial selection pressure. Dorgon and especially Erchim goats stand apart from the other Mongolian breeds according to various types of analyses, and bear unique features pointing to different breeding histories or distinct origins of these breeds. All populations showed strong decline in effective population size. However, none of them met formal criteria to be considered as endangered breeds. The SNP data obtained in this study improved the knowledge of Mongolian goat breeds and could be used in future management decisions in order to preserve their genetic diversity.

To study the genetic differentiation and phylogeny of the breeds and populations of reindeer (Rangifer tarandus L.), a test system based on multiplex PCR analysis of 16 highly polymorphic STR markers (Rt6, BMS1788, Rt30, Rt1, Rt9, FCB193, Rt7, BMS745, С143, Rt24, OheQ, С217, С32, NVHRT16, T40 and C276) was developed. Using this test system, 397 animals from 11 samples were studied. Four of these samples belonged to the wild forms of reindeer, while the rest of the samples represented the Nenets, Even, and Evenk breeds reared in different climatic zones of the Russian Federation. For 16 microsatellite loci, 204 alleles were identified, some of which could be considered breed-specific. It was demonstrated that more than 70% of the unique allele pool was concentrated in wild populations of reindeer. Statistical analysis of microsatellite data showed that the developed test system was an effective tool for identifying domesticated and wild forms of reindeer, testing the breed assignment, and determining the migration flows of a species over the vast territory of its distribution.

There is a forecast that global demand for foods of animal and plant origin will increase by 74% by 2050 (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations). Satisfying this demand without a destructive effect on the environment is only possible while maintaining the principles of organic farming, as well as introducing new technologies in animal husbandry and crop production. Genomic selection as one of the most promising and safest methods for improving the genetic qualities of farm animals and plants can play a key role in this process. This review summarizes information on genomic selection, indicates possible growth points of this direction, demonstrates how a genomic estimation of the breeding value is constructed and what are the key conditions required for its implementation, and discusses the advantages and limitations of genomic and marker selection.

Using microsatellite markers, the genetic diversity, family ties, and genetic drift were studied in three breeds and seven populations of wool (fleece-bearing) goats of Central and Middle Asia. The parameters of allelic and genetic diversity of indigenous populations of Mongolian goats (Gurvan Egch, Darkhat, Burakh Zavkhan, Ulgiy Uulan, Altai Uulan), two populations of local Tuvan goats, Soviet and Tajik wool breeds of goat, and Orenburg fleece-bearing goat were obtained. Using a principal component analysis, two main groups of goats were detected, in one of which mainly Mongolian native populations are united, while in the other are Middle Asian breeds of goats. The populations of Tuvan local goat were divided between the appropriate groups. At the same time, Mongolian goats were characterized by a high intrapopulation diversity and a fairly low level of genetic differences between the populations. Data obtained indicate the existence of a correlation of genetic relations between the considered populations and breeds of fleece-bearing goats and their geographical distribution.