Development of a robust, versatile SNP array for genomic research and breeding applications in the dromedary camel

Camelus dromedarius plays a critical role in production systems across arid regions. In recent years, global interest in dromedaries and their products has rapidly grown. Notwithstanding, dromedary genome-wide genotyping tools remain limited, relying predominantly on genotyping by sequencing technologies or the very few SNP arrays developed from small discovery panels, providing only a partial population representation. To address these gaps, we developed and validated the Illumina® CamelSNP60 BeadChip, a medium-density SNP array designed from 201 dromedary whole-genomes from 18 countries worldwide. It includes 56K SNPs, evenly distributed across the genome, with enrichment of known functional loci in other livestock species. Technical validation, involving genotypes from 374 globally distributed samples, showed an individual concordance rate of about 96% compared to whole-genome sequencing data. The Mendelian Errors rate in the array-genotype dataset was close to 0%. The array’s even SNP distribution and the observed linkage disequilibrium decay pattern make it a well-suited tool for genome-wide association studies (GWAS) and, possibly, genomic selection. By overcoming previous limitations in dromedary genomic tools, this resource enables fine genetic diversity analyses and facilitates research on economically and adaptively significant traits. It represents a key step toward driving genetic improvement and sustainable productivity in dromedary populations worldwide.