Protein electrophoresis as a management tool: Detection of hybridization between banteng (Bos javanicus d'Alton) and domestic cattle

The ability of protein electrophoresis to detect hybridization was evaluated by a detailed examination of 30 banteng‐domestic cattle hybrids. These hybrids were run as unknowns in a sample of 53 individuals that included both banteng and domestic cattle. Twenty‐six of the 30 hybrid animals could be unambiguously identified as such, while the remaining hybrids were indistinguishable from domestic cattle. Theoretical analysis showed that the sensitivity of the protein assays at the individual level increased slowly with the number of available markers. The probability of detecting limited amounts of hybrid influence (5–10%) in an individual was less than 70% for any biologically realistic number of protein markers. Hybridization was much easier to detect at the population level, where the sensitivity of an electrophoretic assay increased rapidly with increased sample size. The combined results of the protein electrophoresis and the theoretical analysis suggest that there is an 94.8% probability that there are essentially no genes from domestic cattle in the North American banteng herd at the present time. Zoos interested in obtaining new animals should examine the source population as well as the individuals in question whenever it is feasible. An electrophoretic survey would also provide useful information when a species survival plan is organized.