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Animals : an open access journal from MDPI2020; 10(7); 1242; doi: 10.3390/ani10071242

Historical Changes and Description of the Current Hungarian Hucul Horse Population.

Abstract: Gene conservation and management of small populations requires proper knowledge of the background and history of the breed. The aim of the study was the evaluation of population structure and changes of the Hungarian Hucul horse population. Population changes were described for the actual breeding stock as well as for groups of 10-year epochs reflecting major periods of change in the breed. Pedigree data of the registered population were analyzed using Endog and GRain software. The average value of equivalent complete generations was above nine for the actual breeding population. The longest generation interval was the sire-to-daughter pathway. The f/f ratio had smaller changes than f/f ratio across the population history. Inbreeding and average relatedness as well as ancestral coefficients had increased during history. Kalinowski's decomposition of inbreeding showed that present inbreeding is smaller than it was done earlier during the last 20 years. Due to the continuous imports from other breeder countries, the genetic variability increased during the evaluated time periods.
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Publication Date: 2020-07-21 PubMed ID: 32708335PubMed Central: PMC7401648DOI: 10.3390/ani10071242Google 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 research explores the historical changes and current state of the Hungarian Hucul horse population, an important resource for gene conservation. The study sheds light on changes in the breed’s population structure and composition over time, and presents findings related to inbreeding and genetic variation rates within this population.

Objective and Methodology

  • The main objective of the research was to analyze the population structure and changes in the Hungarian Hucul horse breed over time. This breed is especially significant due to its gene conservation properties and management of small populations.
  • The population changes were studied for the current breeding stock as well as for groups spanning ten-year periods, which reflected the major phases of change that the breed has undergone.
  • Data was collected from the registered population’s pedigree and was analyzed using Endog and GRain software, tools specifically developed for genetic and population analysis.

Findings and Results

  • The average value of equivalent complete generations for the current breeding population was found to be more than nine. This value signifies the depth to which pedigree knowledge extends within the population, with higher values indicating more robust data on ancestral lineage.
  • The lengthiest generation interval occurred on the sire-to-daughter pathway. This interval refers to the average time between generations, demonstrating that it takes longer to establish a new generation when passing traits from the sire (father) to the daughter.
  • The f/f ratio, which is used to show changes in the total population count, had smaller fluctuations over the breed’s history as compared to the f/f ratio, which is likely an error in text and might be a comparison to another ratio representing another aspect of the breed’s history.
  • Inbreeding and average relatedness, as well as ancestral coefficients, showed an increase as time passed. This indicates that horses within this breed have been increasingly bred with close relatives, which can often lead to higher chances of genetic disorders.
  • However, Kalinowski’s decomposition of inbreeding, a technique used to deconstruct the inbreeding process to its components, showed the current inbreeding is smaller than it was in the last 20 years. This suggests that recent conservation efforts have been moderately successful in stemming the rate of inbreeding.
  • Continual importation of horses from other breeder countries had resulted in an increase in the genetic variability during the time periods evaluated. This diversity is beneficial for the breed as it prevents genetic defects and diseases that can result from inbreeding.

Cite This Article

APA
Posta J, Somogyvári E, Mihók S. (2020). Historical Changes and Description of the Current Hungarian Hucul Horse Population. Animals (Basel), 10(7), 1242. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani10071242

Publication

Animals : an open access journal from MDPI
ISSN: 2076-2615
NlmUniqueID: 101635614
Country: Switzerland
Language: English
Volume: 10
Issue: 7
PII: 1242

Researcher Affiliations

Posta, János
  • Department of Animal Science, Institute of Animal Science, Biotechnology and Nature Conservation, Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences and Environmental Management, University of Debrecen, 4032 Debrecen, Hungary.
Somogyvári, Enikő
  • Department of Animal Science, Institute of Animal Science, Biotechnology and Nature Conservation, Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences and Environmental Management, University of Debrecen, 4032 Debrecen, Hungary.
Mihók, Sándor
  • Department of Animal Science, Institute of Animal Science, Biotechnology and Nature Conservation, Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences and Environmental Management, University of Debrecen, 4032 Debrecen, Hungary.
  • Association of Pony and Small Horse Breeders, 4032 Debrecen, Hungary.

Conflict of Interest Statement

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

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Citations

This article has been cited 7 times.
  1. Cardinali I, Giontella A, Tommasi A, Silvestrelli M, Lancioni H. Unlocking Horse Y Chromosome Diversity. Genes (Basel) 2022 Dec 2;13(12).
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  2. Klein R, Oláh J, Mihók S, Posta J. Pedigree-Based Description of Three Traditional Hungarian Horse Breeds. Animals (Basel) 2022 Aug 14;12(16).
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  5. Błaszczak A, Stefaniuk-Szmukier M, Długosz B, Musiał AD, Olczak K, Ropka-Molik K. Genetic Composition of Polish Hucul Mare Families: mtDNA Diversity. Genes (Basel) 2024 Dec 17;15(12).
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