Runs of Homozygosity and Genomic Inbreeding Concepts in Dairy Animal Breeding

Inbreeding among farm animals is common practice to maintain purity of a specific population and also is unavoidable due to use of few male animals compared to large number of females in any animal breeding farm. Level of inbreeding practiced in a farm is very crucial as the inbreeding depression causes loss of productivity and vitality of the breeding animals. Measuring inbreeding coefficient needs pedigree of each animal which is often not maintained in most of farms, or is incorrect and limited to a very few generations. Runs of homozygosity patterns in genome of individuals can capture inbreeding of most distant origin and gives a very accurate picture of level of inbreeding present in a farm even in absence of complete pedigree and also are helpful in evolutionary studies and selection signatures analysis.