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

我们对库奇诺岛野生牛的评价、保护和利用进行了研究。根据其历史证据，库奇诺岛野牛可以被认为是日本仅有的一头纯种本土野牛。因此，该牛对保存日本原产地方牛的遗传物质，明确日本地方牛与亚洲其他地方品种牛的亲缘关系具有重要价值。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头成年配种母牛及其小牛和杂交母牛组成的繁育群体。这些材料现在可以用于实验用途。我们检测了库奇诺岛野牛和几个现代品种的牛，如Hereford和Holstein品种的mtDNA RFLP多态性。用15种内切酶对它们的mtDNA分析进行比较，结果表明，野生牛可以归类为所谓的家牛金牛系。对10个体尺测量值的主成分分析表明，野生牛与日本黑种牛相似，而不是Heford或Holstein种牛。然而，野牛明显区别于日本的黑色品种，这一点在当地品种的牛中已有报道。正在使用通过该项目获得的各种数据来分析生长模式、繁殖力、遗传变异性的量化、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.