Population Genetic Characteristics of Tuvan Short Fat-Tailed Sheep

Using 11 microsatellite markers, data on the genetic structure, levels of variability, and the degree of differentiation of 23 populations (1110 head) of Tuvan coarse-wooled short fat-tailed sheep from different regions of the Tyva Republic were obtained. It was established that at present this autochthonous breed is represented by two main types (mountain and steppe), as well as by numerous local intermediate populations. Despite the detected allelic diversity from 7502 to 10 114, a significant heterozygote deficiency (from 15.3 to 35.6%) was detected in all studied populations. At the same time, interpopulation differences in the group of Tuvan sheep of the steppe type ( F ST = 0.013–0.153, Jost’s D = 0.029–0.461) were more pronounced than in the group of Tuvan sheep of the mountain type ( F ST = 0.01–0.071, Jost’s D = 0.029–0.247). The adaptation to different natural and climatic conditions, including a typological composition and productivity of pastures on the territory of Tuva, is one of the possible reasons for the heterogeneous differentiation of the population structure of Tuvan short fat-tailed sheep.