Populations of Tuvan Shot Fat-Tailed Sheep in the Gene Pool Structure of the Sheep Breeds of the Russian Federation

Using 11 microsatellite markers (OarCP49, INRA063, HSC, OarAE129, MAF214, OarFCB11, INRA005, SPS113, INRA23, MAF65, and McM527), data on the level of variability and degree of differentiation of 24 populations (1140 specimens) of Tuvan coarse-wooled short fat-tailed sheep from different regions of the Republic of Tyva and 24 sheep breeds (721 specimens) of different origin from the main sheep-raising regions of the Russian Federation, were obtained. The analysis revealed the high level of genetic isolation and variability of Tuvan sheep. Moreover, in the general structure of Russian sheep breeds, pronounced genetic divergence into two large groups was revealed, with one of these groups uniting fine-fleeced and semi-fine-fleeced sheep, and the other group consisting of indigenous coarse-wooled breeds of North Caucasian and Asian origin.