Evaluation, conservation and utilization of the Kuchinoshima feral cattle as genetic resource.

本文对野生牛的评价、保护与利用进行了研究。根据其历史证据，库之岛野牛可以被认为是日本唯一一种纯本土野牛。因此，对保存日本本土牛的遗传物质，明确日本本土牛与其他亚洲地方牛品种的系统发育关系具有重要价值。我们可以在名古屋大学实验站建立一个由4头公牛或候选公牛、15头成年母公牛及其幼牛和杂交组成的牛繁殖群体。这些材料现在可用于实验。我们检测了Kuchinoshima野生牛和几种现代牛品种（如赫里福德牛和荷尔斯坦牛）的mtDNA RFLP多态性。用15种核酸内切酶对它们的mtDNA进行分析比较，结果表明，野牛属于家牛的金牛系。利用10个体测值进行主成分分析表明，野牛与日本黑牛相似，而与赫福德牛和荷斯坦牛不同。然而，野生牛明显区别于日本黑牛，其程度在当地牛品种中也有报道。利用该项目获得的各种数据，正在分析生长模式、繁殖能力、遗传变异的量化、杂交品种的特定性状等。

We made a study on evaluation, conservation and utilization of the Kuchinoshima feral cattle. The Kuchinoshima feral cattle could be considered only one purly native feral cattle in Japan according to its historical evidences. The cattle is, therfore, of value to conserve genetic materials of Japanese original native cattle and to meke clear phyrogenetic relationship of the Japanese native cattle and other Asian local breeds of cattle. We could establish a breeding colony of the cattle in Experimental Station of Nagoya University, that is comprized of four bulls or the candidates, fifteen adult breeding females, and their calves and crossbred. These materials are now available for experimental use. We examined mtDNA RFLP polymorphisms of the Kuchinoshima feral cattle and several modern breeds of cattle, such as Hereford and Holsteinbreeds. Comparison of their mtDNA analysis by using fifteen endonuclease showed the feral cattle could be classified into so-called taurus lineage of the domestic cattle. Principal component analysis using ten body-measurement values showed the feral cattle resemle to Japanese Black breed rather than Heford or Holstein breeds of cattle. The feral cattle however clearly discriminated from Japanese Black Breed at a level that has been reported among local breeds of cattle. Growth patterns, reproductivity, quantificatin of genetic variability, specifi traits of the crossbreds, etc.are being analized using various data obtained through this project.