LAUSR

Ecuador is a country with a high biodiversity of animal genetic resources of agri-food interest, although scientific information on them is scarce. This work aims is the study of the genetic diversity of Creole pigs in the Planning Zone Five of Ecuador, integrated by the provinces of Bolivar, Guayas, Los Rios and Santa Elena. There, this population plays a fundamental role in rural communities as the main source of protein for the family unit and as a source of complementary income in traditional production systems. Ninety samples are analyzed with 25 microsatellites recommended by the FAO for studies of porcine genetic diversity. Parameters of genetic variability are calculated (mean number of alleles, effective number of alleles, heterozygosity, PIC and FIS coefficient). Individual DSA genetic distances are calculated and a dendrogram is constructed. The studied Ecuadorian pig shows a high in-breed genetic diversity and it do not deviate significantly from the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. No genetic differentiation is detected between the pigs sampled in the different provinces, so it could be managed as a single population.