In 2002, it was discovered that several Cika cattle in the mountain areas of Slovenia had escaped the official policy of cross-breeding. Here, we report a genetic characterization to assess their status as autochthonous breed. We compared genotypes for 14 microsatellite markers in 150 Cika cattle individuals with data from 16 Central European cattle breeds. We show that Cika cattle are genetically as diverse as other Eastern Alpine breeds, are more diverse than Austrian Simmental but less than the Balkan Busha cattle. STRUCTURE analysis showed Pinzgauer admixture in several individuals but also indicated a unique genetic identity for Cika. This analysis also allowed a selection of the most genetically pure Cika individuals as assessed by the panel of microsatellites. These original Cika cattle form an Eastern Alpine breed cluster together with Pinzgauer and Pustertaler cattle. Cika cattle should be considered as an authentic and valuable genetic resource, which offers clear opportunities for sustainable agriculture and landscape conservation in marginal and mountain areas.
Keywords: Balkan cattle; Slovenia; cattle; genetic diversity; genetic structure; microsatellite.
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