Genetic researches yak Bos gruniens

Oyun Nadezhda Yuryevna

The unique ability of the yak Bos grunniens to exist under severe environmental conditions, withstanding extremely low temperatures, high altitude hypoxia and starvation, makes it an important model object in the studies of molecular-genetic bases of vital resources mobilization and adaptation to the high-altitude conditions. Long and complex history of yak domestication, as well as the present day, discontinuous range due to physiographic characteristics of its habitation area, determine the unique features of the genetic diversity of its populations. The present article is a review considering the current systematic position of yak, phylogenetics, and genetic diversity of populations; we also analyze here the polymorphism of genes determining the adaptation to high-altitude hypoxia.

Keywords:yak, genome, mtDNA, microsatellites, SNP, phylogenetic connections, genetic structure of the population, genetic polymorphism