Microsatellite DNA markers applied to the classification of the Podenco Valenciano canine breed

Abstract

Traditional morphology studies form the basis for the classification of canine breeds as established by the Fédération Cynologique Internationale (FCI). The FCI recommendations for the acceptance of a new breed include both the differentiation and the identification of close phylogenetic relationships with the previously accepted breeds. These requirements can be met in an affordable way by using the information provided by routine genetic identification procedures. In this report, a set of 21 microsatellite molecular markers is applied to the study of three non-achondroplasic Spanish ‘Podenco’ breeds, currently included in FCI’s group five (section 7). For this purpose, factorial correspondence analysis (FCA), genetic distances and Bayesian population structure are applied to the multilocus genotypes obtained from a sample of ‘Podenco’ individuals of the different breeds, while German Shepherd Dogs are used as the outgroup. Molecular analysis confirms the existing classification and supports the inclusion of ‘Podenco Valenciano’ as a new breed in the same FCI group and section. Therefore, the FCI requirements for its acceptance are met in a cost efficient way. A similar approach is suitable for other canine populations, supplementing the traditional morphological criteria.