Genomic Diversity And Structure Of Lidia Breed Cattle In Mexico

First documented in the 13th Century on the Iberian Peninsula, the Lidia cattle breed has since been the preferred breed for producing bulls for social celebrations known as "bullfighting", an expression of regional cultural identity in several countries. Specialization of the breed in Mexico began in the late 19th Century when four Mexican families imported a small number of Lidia animals from Spain. Of these original imports, only the lines derived from the Llaguno and Gonzalez families remain. Different breeding strategies were implemented in the Llaguno family. Antonio Llaguno crossed the recently imported Spanish animals among each other, resulting in what is currently recognized in Mexico as the "Pure" line. Julian Llaguno crossed Creole dams with Spanish sires, creating the line known as "Impure". In addition, Lidia breed lines such as Domecq, Murube and Santa Coloma were brought to Mexico between 1996 and 1997. The present study objective was to use SNP molecular markers to analyze genomic diversity, population structure, endogamy levels and genetic relationships between Lidia lines in Mexico. Five lines within the Mexican population were studied: Antonio Llaguno, Julian Llaguno, Gonzalez, Domecq and Santa Coloma. All five lines were found to be genetically distinct, although the Antonio and Julian Llaguno lines are more similar than the others. Genetic isolation between the different lines of the Lidia breed in Mexico has resulted in their being unique.