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The research aims to analyze the evolutionary mechanisms affecting sheep traits related to gastrointestinal parasite resistance.

February 20, 2026PLoS ONEOpen Access

Artificial and natural selection components reveal the mechanisms of tropical sheep populations against gastrointestinal parasites

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Reveals the genetic mechanisms affecting sheep resistance to parasites, indicating the role of selection types.

The research aims to analyze the evolutionary mechanisms affecting sheep traits related to gastrointestinal parasite resistance.
Collected phenotypic data from 1,283 Santa Inês sheep
Genotyped 638 animals using the Ovine SNP50 BeadChip
Estimated breeding values with BLUPF90 software
Applied statistical models to assess natural and artificial selection intensity
Identified selection signatures using Wright’s fixation index
Natural selection accounted for 76% of selection intensity, while artificial selection contributed 24%
Body condition score (BCS) correlated best with parasitological traits
Identified 15 selection signatures, with 11 for natural and 4 for artificial selection
Noted directional selection in traits like body weight, PCV, and total plasma protein

Menegatto et al. (2026) studied this question.

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