Study of wool characteristics in the aranese ovine breed / Estudio de las características de la lana en la raza ovina aranesa

To date, no ethnological study on the wool characteristics of the Spanish Aranese ovine breed has been published. Fifty three animals belonging to this breed are tested as fleece samples. Each sample is analyzed for fleece type and length, yield by isoalcohol scouring, fiber length for each kind of fiber, variation in fiber diameter, and proportions of non-medullated and medullated or kemp fibers. Fiber length appears shorter than that previously reported for the breed by other authors. Fleeces of the Aranese sheep breed can be described as square, simple, "semi-open" and short with a relatively high yield by isoalcohol scouring and low medullation levels, thus indicating good potential quality and greater suitability for potential processing than other similar meat breeds.

Hasta el momento, ningún estudio etnológico sobre las características de la lana de la variedad española ovina Aranesa ha sido publicado. Cincuenta y tres animales de esta raza han sido analizados a partir de muestras de su vellón. Cada muestra se analizó para el tipo de vellón y longitud, su rendimiento mediante isoalcohol desgrasado, longitud de las fibras para cada tipo de fibra, variación en el diámetro de la fibra, y las proporciones de fibras no meduladas y meduladas o fibras kemp. La longitud de las fibras parece más corta que la reportada para esta raza por otros autores. El vellón de la raza ovina Aranesa se puede describir como cuadrado, simple, "semi-abierto" y corto, con un rendimiento relativamente alto por desengrasado mediante isoalcohol y bajos niveles de medulación, lo que indica la buena calidad potencial y mayor oportunidad para el procesamiento potencial que otras razas similares de carne.

On biometrical aspects of the cephalic anatomy of xisqueta sheep (Catalunya, Spain) / Aspectos biométricos de la anatomía cefálica de la oveja xisqueta (Cataluña, España)

This study, based on a 48 Xisqueta skull samples, gives a statistical insight of the skull shape in this breed. Thirty eight measurements and eight indexes were recorded. The variance structure was done using a Principal Component Analysis (PCA). This was possible sequel to the application and permission of the covariance matrix. The mean length of the skulls was found to be 265.51 +/- 22.24 mm, with the width and cephalic index to the magnitude of 117.2 +/- 6.89 mm and 44.69 +/- 4.29 mm, respectively. The viscerocranium length was 143.07 +/- 9.74 mm thus indicating a similar portion with the neurocranium part of the skull (137.17 +/- 6.25 mm). The orbit was slightly almond shaped. Variability was generally high within parameters but parameter variation was less in regard to basal surface length parameters than the others. The results from Principal Component Analysis indicated that skull variance was concentrated on the first two components. The first principal component explained 99.21 percent of the generalized variance in skull parameters and gave special emphasis to viscerocranium. The second principal component may be called the neurocranial component. The first and the second principal components explained 99.77 percent of the observed variance. The third principal component was related with foramen magnum and orbital parameters.

Este estudio, basado en una muestra de 48 cráneos de Xisqueta, da una visión estadística de la biometría del cráneo de esta raza. Treinta y ocho mediciones y ocho índices fueron tomados. La longitud media de los cráneos se encontraron entre 265,51 +/- 22,24 mm con el ancho e índice cefálico con la magnitud de 117,2 +/- 6,89 mm y 44,69 +/- 4,29 mm respectivamente. La longitud del viscerocráneo fue 143,07 +/- 9,74 mm, lo que indica una porción similar con la parte del neurocráneo (137,17 +/- 6,25 mm). La órbita tuvo una forma ligeramente de almendra. La variabilidad fue generalmente alta dentro de los parámetros, pero fueron menores en la longitud de la superficie basal. La estructura de varianza se realizó utilizando un Análisis de Componentes Principales (ACP). Esto fue posible gracias a la aplicación y la permisividad de la matriz de covarianza. La solución del ACP indica que la varianza del cráneo se concentró en los dos primeros componentes. El primer componente principal explicó el 99,21 por ciento de la varianza generalizada en los parámetros de cráneo y prestó especial atención al viscerocráneo. El segundo componente principal se puede llamar el componente neurocráneo. El primer y el segundo componente principal explicaron 99,77 por ciento de la varianza observada. El tercer componente principal estaba relacionado con el foramen magno y los parámetros orbitales.

Conservation genetics of an endangered Catalonian cattle breed ("Alberes")

A estrutura genética de uma populaçäo de Alberes, uma raça de gado dos Pirineus catalônicos (Espanha e França) em risco de extinçäo, foi analisada e caracterizada bioquimicamente. Noventa e dois indivíduos foram analisados para 5 loci genéticos polimórficos (Hb, Alb, Tf, GC e Ptf2). Os animais foram agrupados de acordo com a cor do pêlo: variedade Fagina Alberes (N=39) e Black Alberes (N=53). As estruturas genéticas e as relaçöes entre estas subpopulaçöes e uma raça extra ("Bruna dels Pirineus") foram analisadas e comparadas pela estatística F. A endogamia na raça Alberes näo foi significante, pois foram obtidos valores FIT e FIS negativos e näo significantes. A diferenciaçäo genética média entre as subpopulaçöes dentro da raça Alberes foi 1,5 por cento (FST=0,015; P<0,05), com um número efetivo de 4,1 indivíduos trocados entre as subpopulaçöes por geraçäo (fluxo de gene). Os resultados obtidos neste estudo confirmaram o perigo potencial de extinçäo da raça. A variedade Black Alberes é sugerida de isolamento genético em relaçäo a outras populaçöes estrangeiras.

Comparative analysis of morphological and behavioral characters in the domestic dog and their importance in the reconstruction of phylogenetic relationships in canids

Relationships among 25 dog breeds, classified a priori by their respective ancestral trunks, were studied using data from 29 morphological and 13 behavioral characteristics. Although a certain correlation was found between both types of traits (r = 0.13; P < 0.05), this relationship was not manifested, regarding the level of racial classification, in the obtained dendrograms. The relationships between breeds obtained from morphological data were more congruent than those obtained from behavioral data when compared with phylogenies from other sources of information (mainly electrophoretic analysis). This indicates that the morphological characters could give more and better complementary information than the behavioral ones in the reconstruction of the phylogenetic relationships of canids. The mean character difference (MCD), used as a measure of taxonomic resemblance between breeds, had a value of 0.53 (+ or - 0.12 STD), and was of a magnitude very similar to that obtained in other domestic animal species (cattle, horse, sheep and goats), indicating that a similar degree of morphological differences between breeds of these species exists.