GENETIC DIVERSITY ANALYSIS OF TWO DESERT BIGHORN SHEEP (Ovis canadensis mexicana) POPULATION IN MEXICO

Abstract

The genetic diversity of two populations of desert bighorn sheep from the Tiburon Island and the Sonora State (Sirios Mountain, El Viejo Mountain and El Encierro Mountain) was analyzed. DNA was extracted from blood samples in order to amplify a six panel of loci microsatellites. The number of average alleles found for the loci studied was 8 for the population of Tiburon Island (TI) and 7 for the Sonora State´s (SS). The expected heterozygosity and the index of polymorphic information (PIC) expected were very similar in the two populations with values of 0.716 and 0.732, 0.66 y 0.69, for the population of SS and the TI, respectively. Because of a heterozygotes deficit, both populations are not in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. The molecular analysis of variance indicates a moderate genetic differentiation (FST = 0.059; P =0.0001). The results of this work show that it is necessary to establish strategies to monitor and maintain the genetic diversity and purity of the population of the TI. In the case of the population of the SS, it is necessary to monitor broadening the number of samples in order to evaluate their genetic variability and to determine the reproductive but suitable handling, for the mating among pairs.