Cytogenetic characteristic of Ovis ammon ammon, O. nivicola borealis and their hybrids

By a hybridization of wild and domestic sheep, a gene fond of sheep breeds can be enriched with useful traits, and the rare and disappearing species reconstructed. In our experiments, the hybridization between Ovis nivicola borealis and O. ammon ammon resulted in a reproductive offspring. The parental and hybrid animals were compared as to their karyograms which were determined on the base of ideogram for goats with addition of metacentric chromosomes. The cytogenetic data and the reproductive state of the hybrid confirm that the taxa used in hybridization are closely related.