Genetic characteristics of regional populations of Nenets reindeer breed (Rangifer tarandus)

Nenets breed is the most numerous indigenous breed of domestic reindeer ( Rangifer tarandus ). Due to their biological versatility, the breed’s representatives easily adapt to new pastures. The breeding zone covers the territory from the Kola Peninsula in the west to Taimyr in the east. However, there is still no information on the genetic structure of the Nenets domestic reindeer breed. This paper is the first to present data on STR markers of reindeer of the Nenets breed from the Russian regional populations, the breeding zone of which almost completely covers the current range of the breed. The aim of our work was to characterize the allele pool of domestic reindeer of the Nenets breed, which originate from different regional populations. The sample included 787 specimens from 15 Nenets populations collected in Nenets (KAN, ILB, IND, TAB, HRP, PIL, IZH, SEV) and Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Districts, the Komi Republic (INT), Murmansk (MUR) and Arkhangelsk (ARH) regions, as well as from the Taimyr municipal district (TUH, DUD)...