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Animals : an open access journal from MDPI2024; 14(15); doi: 10.3390/ani14152221

Genetic Diversity and Population Structure of Dülmen Wild, Liebenthal and Polish Konik Horses in Comparison with Przewalski, Sorraia, German Draught and Riding Horses.

Abstract: The objective of the present study was to analyze the genetic diversity, individual-based assessment of population structure, and admixture in the Dülmen wild horse population in comparison to warmblood, coldblood, and primitive horse populations. The Dülmen wild horse is kept as a unique horse population in the Merfelder Bruch near Dülmen in Westphalia, Germany, and since 1856 has been managed by the Dukes of Croÿ. The Dülmen wild horse population is exposed to the natural conditions of the Merfelder Bruch all year round without human interventions for feeding and veterinary care. In the present study, genetic diversity was estimated for 101 Dülmen wild horses using multilocus genotypic information from a set of 29 autosomal microsatellites and compared with 587 horses from 17 different horse populations. Dülmen wild horses maintained a high degree of genetic diversity, with an average observed heterozygosity of 0.68, a mean number of 6.17 alleles, and heterozygote deficit of -0.035. Pairwise genetic distances (FST, Nei's standard, and Cavalli-Sforza distances) were closest to German coldblood breeds, Polish Konik, and Icelandic horses and most divergent from Sorraia and Przewalski's horses. Neighbor joining dendrogram and PCA plots showed a clear distinction of Dülmen wild horses from other populations, particularly from Przewalski horses. Posterior Bayesian analysis confirmed clear differentiation from other horse populations without an admixture pattern and a high membership index (0.92). It was possible to distinguish Dülmen wild horses from Dülmen and Polish Konik horses. In conclusion, Dülmen wild horses show a notable separation from other German horse breeds and primitive horse populations and may serve as a resource to study evolution of equine domestication.
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Publication Date: 2024-07-31 PubMed ID: 39123746PubMed Central: PMC11311111DOI: 10.3390/ani14152221Google Scholar: Lookup
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Summary

This research summary has been generated with artificial intelligence and may contain errors and omissions. Refer to the original study to confirm details provided. Submit correction.

This study focused on the analysis of the genetic diversity and population structure of Dülmen wild horses in comparison to other horse populations such as warmblood, coldblood, and primitive breeds. The research found that Dülmen wild horses exhibit significant genetic distinction from other horse breeds, despite being exposed to natural conditions without human interventions.

Objective and Methodology

  • The study aimed to analyze the genetic diversity and population structure of Dülmen wild horses and compare these traits to other horse populations.
  • For this study, multilocus genotypic information from a set of 29 autosomal microsatellites was used to estimate the genetic diversity of the Dülmen wild horses.
  • The researchers analyzed data from 101 Dülmen wild horses and compared their genetic diversity to 587 horses from 17 other horse breeds.

Findings

  • Dülmen wild horses exhibited a high degree of genetic diversity, maintaining an average observed heterozygosity, or genetic diversity, of 0.68, a mean number of 6.17 alleles, and a slight heterozygote deficit of -0.035.
  • The genetic distances between the Dülmen wild horses and other breeds were closest to German coldblood breeds, Polish Konik, and Icelandic horses, but markedly divergent from Sorraia and Przewalski’s horses.
  • A neighbor-joining dendrogram and PCA plots demonstrated a clear distinction of Dülmen wild horses from other populations, particularly Przewalski horses, indicating distinct genetic lineage.
  • Posterior Bayesian analysis further affirmed the clear differentiation from other horse populations without an admixture pattern and recorded a high membership index of 0.92, signifying a high level of genetic distinctiveness.

Conclusion

  • The Dülmen wild horses showed a notable separation from other German horse breeds and primitive horse populations, confirming their unique genetic structure.
  • The study concluded that these horses may serve as a valuable resource for studying the evolution of equine domestication due to their distinctive genetic pattern.

Cite This Article

APA
Duderstadt S, Distl O. (2024). Genetic Diversity and Population Structure of Dülmen Wild, Liebenthal and Polish Konik Horses in Comparison with Przewalski, Sorraia, German Draught and Riding Horses. Animals (Basel), 14(15). https://doi.org/10.3390/ani14152221

Publication

Animals : an open access journal from MDPI
ISSN: 2076-2615
NlmUniqueID: 101635614
Country: Switzerland
Language: English
Volume: 14
Issue: 15

Researcher Affiliations

Duderstadt, Silke
  • Institute of Animal Breeding and Genetics, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover (Foundation), 30559 Hannover, Germany.
Distl, Ottmar
  • Institute of Animal Breeding and Genetics, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover (Foundation), 30559 Hannover, Germany.

Grant Funding

  • TiHo-Di-Ho/2012-15 / University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover (Foundation)

Conflict of Interest Statement

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

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Citations

This article has been cited 3 times.
  1. Duderstadt S, Distl O. Insights into Genomic Patterns of Homozygosity in the Endangered Dülmen Wild Horse Population. Genes (Basel) 2025 Sep 8;16(9).
    doi: 10.3390/genes16091054pubmed: 41009997google scholar: lookup
  2. Hou L, Sulayman A, Zeng Y, Zhou L, Aimaier A, Kader A, Shi L. Analysis of Genetic Diversity and Race Genetic Structure of Major Horse Breeds in Xinjiang, China. Animals (Basel) 2025 Sep 14;15(18).
    doi: 10.3390/ani15182690pubmed: 41007935google scholar: lookup
  3. Duderstadt S, Distl O. Influence of Sires on Population Substructure in Dülmen Wild Horses. Animals (Basel) 2024 Oct 9;14(19).
    doi: 10.3390/ani14192904pubmed: 39409853google scholar: lookup
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