Abstract
This study assessed the phenotypic and genetic relationships among three Nigerian indigenous goat breeds, Sahel (SAH), Sokoto Red (SOR), and West African Dwarf (WAD), using morphometric traits and growth hormone (GH) gene markers. Body weight (BWT) and body linear measurements, including height at withers (HW), body length (BL), heart girth (HG), paunch girth (PG), and ear length (EL), were recorded to evaluate phenotypic diversity. Significant differences (P<0.05) were observed across all traits, with SAH goats exhibiting the largest body dimensions and WAD goats the smallest. Blood samples, about 3 mL, were aseptically collected and preserved in EDTA tubes at -4°C for genomic DNA extraction and analysis. The GH gene was amplified using PCR, followed by electrophoresis and allele analysis. WAD goats showed the highest genetic variability, with a mean effective allele count of 1.79±0.06 and observed heterozygosity of 0.30±0.10, while SAH goats exhibited the lowest (1.49±0.02 and 0.10±0.10, respectively). Genetic similarity was highest between SOR and SAH (0.9930) and lowest between WAD and SAH (0.9877), with corresponding genetic distances of 0.0070 and 0.0124. A phylogenetic dendrogram grouped SOR and SAH together, with WAD forming a distinct branch, reflecting ecological and geographical divergence. These findings underscore the moderate genetic diversity and phenotypic variation among Nigerian indigenous goat breeds and highlight the importance of conservation and selective breeding strategies to improve productivity and adaptability.
Keywords: breeds, diversity, goats, genetic distance, genetic similarity, phylogeny