The N'Dama dilemma: Ethnogenetics and small ruminant breed dynamics in the tsetse zone, The Gambia

Abstract

Livestock breeds serve as the organizational unit for animal genetic resource (AnGR) conservation. Farmers' knowledge has been recognized for its contribution to the identity and characterization of local breeds, yet if farmers are to contribute to in situ AnGR conservation, their own ideas about livestock biology need to be included in breed assessments. The objective of this study was to understand how Gambian farmers' classification of sheep and goats related to local ideas about phenotypic inheritance. While farmers trace breed membership to the nanny, trait dominance is attributed to the sire line. This distinction allows farmers to depict outcrossing as a form of breed diversification while underreporting its occurrence within village flocks. The study findings suggest that farmers' understanding of trait transmission has relevance for in situ AnGR conservation, as saving a breed by name may not ensure the persistence of its associated trait profile.