Analysis of the Gene Pools of the Altai and Novoaltai Horse Breeds in the Altai Republic

The gene pools of two local horse breeds from the Altai Republic were studied. Specimens from Altai breed and the developed on its basis Novoaltai breed were collected during expeditions from 2011 to 2024. The population structure of these breeds was analyzed in comparison with Russian and European local horse breeds. Close relationships between Altai horses and the breeds of Mongolian origin were revealed. Phylogenetic analysis was conducted, and the frequencies of different coat colors in the Altai horse population were calculated. In addition to the basic chestnut, black, and bay coat colors, a large number of diluted and pinto colors were identified. It was demonstrated that the Altai horse had similar origin with Tuvinian and Mongolian horses, as supported by dendrogram data and Bayesian analysis in the STRUCTURE software program.