Genetic Differentiation among Livestock Breeds—Values for F(st)

SIMPLE SUMMARY: The degree of relationship among livestock breeds can be quantified by the F(st) statistic, which measures the extent of genetic differentiation between them. An F(st) value of 0.1 has often been taken as indicating that two breeds are indeed genetically distinct, but this concept has not been evaluated critically. Here, F(st) values have been collated for the six major livestock species: cattle, sheep, goats, pigs, horses, and chickens. These values are remarkably variable both within and between species, demonstrating that F(st) > 0.1 is not a reliable criterion for breed distinctiveness. However, the large body of F(st) data accumulated in the last 20–30 years represents an untapped database that could contribute to the development of interdisciplinary research involving livestock breeds. ABSTRACT: (1) Background: The F(st) statistic is widely used to characterize between-breed relationships. F(st) = 0.1 has frequently been taken as indicating genetic distinctiveness between breeds. This study investigates whether this is justified. (2) Methods: A database was created of 35,080 breed pairs and their corresponding F(st) values, deduced from microsatellite and SNP studies covering cattle, sheep, goats, pigs, horses, and chickens. Overall, 6560 (19%) of breed pairs were between breeds located in the same country, 7395 (21%) between breeds of different countries within the same region, 20,563 (59%) between breeds located far apart, and 562 (1%) between a breed and the supposed wild ancestor of the species. (3) Results: General values for between-breed F(st) were as follows, cattle: microsatellite 0.06–0.12, SNP 0.08–0.15; sheep: microsatellite 0.06–0.10, SNP 0.06–0.17; horses: microsatellite 0.04–0.11, SNP 0.08–0.12; goats: microsatellite 0.04–0.14, SNP 0.08–0.16; pigs: microsatellite 0.06–0.27, SNP 0.15–0.22; chickens: microsatellite 0.05–0.28, SNP 0.08–0.26. (4) Conclusions: (1) Large amounts of F(st) data are available for a substantial proportion of the world’s livestock breeds, (2) the value for between-breed F(st) of 0.1 is not appropriate owing to its considerable variability, and (3) accumulated F(st) data may have value for interdisciplinary research.