Analysis of mtDNA Haplogroup Variability in Horses of Native Breeds of Russia

The article presents the results of studying the hypervariable sequence of the mtDNA D-loop of 205 horses from ten indigenous breeds, including the Buryatskaya, Vyatskaya, Zabaykalskaya, Mezenskaya, Pechorskaya, Priobskaya, Tavdinskaya, Tuvinskaya, Khakasskaya and Yakutskaya populations. A wide range of mtDNA haplotypes and haplogroups ( = 95.61) were identified in horses of the studied populations, including original mitotypes and new mitogroups not previously described in other horse breeds. In addition to 17 standard mtDNA groups (A–R), additional phylogenetic clusters were identified in horses of Buryatskaya (T, Y, Z), Vyatskaya (U and Y), Mezenskaya (U), Priobskaya (U, W) and Khakasskaya (Y) breeds. The results obtained demonstrate a certain commonality and originality of the matrilineal structure of the indigenous horse breeds of North-Eastern Eurasia.