NAYR Denver Presentation

The following is an explanation of the: •  The North American Yak Registry •  The Appendix Program •  Problems encountered with hybridization of yaks with cattle breeds •  Genetic testing developed with UC Davis for yak/cattle hybrid

screening

This PDF was adapted from a talk given by Lawrence Richards at the 2015 Members Meeting in Denver, Colorado. The IYAK Board of Directors would like to give special thanks to the IYAK Registration committee consisting of Tom Hansen, Lawrence Richards and Doug David and President Jim Watson for the production of this presentation.

The International Yak Association is a breed association, not a club IYAK was called into existence on September 27, 1992 at Living Diamonds Ranch in Polson, Montana. Between 1992 and 1993 the Rules and Regulations of The North American Yak Registry were written by Dr. Dane Smith and Lawrence Richards.

All Yaks born in 1993 and earlier were grouped together with the year Tag letter C, the current letter for 1993 according to the International Year Letter System. The year letter was indexed every year until 1999 when the Registrar used I instead of jumping to J as the International system did.

In 2011 we jumped back into sync with the International system by jumping from T(used in 2010) to Y for 2011(skipping U,V,W,X).

Today we proudly present that the North American Yak Registry is a State of the Art DNA Verified Registry.

TIME LINE The next page shows the dates of changes to the Registration Process from 2005 thru 2015 including the DNA Requirements and Appendix Program formation.

One should pay special attention to the requirements for DNA testing of breeding bulls (03/11/2012) and females (01/01/2015). Their offspring cannot be registered after their respective dates unless their DNA is on file. This applies to calves born both before and after the deadlines once the deadlines are reached.

TIME LINE January 2005- Membership voted to close foundation herd book with a two year grace period to register “unknown” yaks

2009-Grace period extended to end of year, total of five years where anything could be registered.

1/1/2009: DNA required for all new bull applications.

1/1/2012: DNA required for all new female applications

3/11/2012 DNA required for all breeding bulls or offspring will not be registered.

2013 Appendix program established

1/1/2015: DNA required for all females and offspring of fully registered animals.

International Yak Association Registration Committee Protocol 10/22/2014

In accordance with NAYR Article II Section 1C, Animals that are the offspring of fully registered Foundation animals will be entered in the Foundation Book. Fully registered means a certificate number has been issued, DNA is on file and parental verification is complete.

§  In accordance with NAYR Article II Section 1D, animals that are not the offspring of fully registered animals must apply to the Registration Committee for approval. The Registration Committee decides if the animal meets qualifications to be registered.

§  Cattle characteristics and/or cattle DNA markers will be used to determine if the animal meets standards for Appendix or Hybrid registration.

§  An animal may be denied outright if it shows undesirable conformational or genetic defects.

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§  No application will be processed until all applicable fees, DNA sample and completed forms are submitted. Fees are non-refundable.

§  Photographs (Left, Center, Right) must be submitted. Animals must be presented in the photos as an individual, not a group. To help differentiate the animal, some type of ear tag with a clearly visible number/ID must be present in at least one of the pictures.

§  The Registrar will review the application and if all criteria are met, the application package will be sent to the committee for evaluation.

§  If any hybrid traits are suspected, DNA testing will be done as determined by the committee, although outcomes will not be decided by DNA results alone. Consensus among the committee is reached and communicated to the Registrar for admission of the application to the Appendix or Hybrid registry.

§  Registration committee members will abstain from influencing and voting on any animals in which they may have a conflict of interest.

PHILOSOPHY Many indigenous cattle breeds that have evolved over hundreds and thousands of years are fast becoming degraded and diluted because of crossbreeding. The focus on immediate financial returns has threatened many breeds. As the trend continues this native genetic material will be largely depleted or even lost forever.

The North American yak is also in a similar position. In an effort to maintain the biodiversity of the bos grunniens in particular, we the International Yak Association board unanimously endorse that only yaks with no known recent cattle genetics are to be admitted into the North American yak Foundation or Appendix herd books. The effects of this decision made at the present time will determine the future condition of the genetic composition of the yak in North America We would like to acknowledge those that are now in a hybrid program and urge them to continue their efforts, especially with the goals of increasing potential for production of milk or better capability in meat production or high resistance to diseases and tolerance of adverse conditions.

EXAMPLES

In the following examples we touch on the dangers of hybridization and its impact on the purity of breeds and the position of the Swiss Yak Association and the National Bison Association with regard to hybridization.

Swiss Yak Association § Regulations of the Swiss Breeding Association dictate that crossing is forbidden. § Suspected animals are checked with DNA Tests. § "So for such animals no way for registering or pedigree papers." -Daniel Wismer, Member of the Swiss Breeding Association

National Bison Association

In the 1800's ranchers experimented briefly with crossing bison with cattle in the hope of creating a hearty crossbreed. They discovered instead that the crossbred animals were highly infertile, had problems calving, and generally performed poorly. The ranchers soon dropped the experiment.

Dave Carter, executive director of the National Bison Association noted that the genetic testing underway indicates that bison without cattle genetics tend to be larger and heavier than those animals that show evidence of cattle DNA.

"Bison are well-suited to the types of grasses, and the climate, in this part of the world. Bison ranchers know that the best way to manage these animals is to leave them alone as much as possible," Carter said.

Other Registries DNA Verified Regristries: § American Quarter Horse Association § American Angus Association § American Simmental Association § International Llama Association § Alpaca Owners Association

Here are other breed associations that are DNA verified. Two that standout are the AQHA and the Alpaca Owners Assn. Both of these require DNA testing of both parents for registration of offspring. The Angus and Simmental are somewhat less restrictive requiring DNA on bulls used for AI and embryo transplant donor females. Their DNA emphasis is on genetic defects and they have very strict testing requirements for genetic defects.

You can see from the list on the previous page that we are in the company of prestigious Breed Registries and we are a Breed Association—no longer a club—and we have in The North American Registry a State of the Art DNA verified Registry. Parental Verification of Sire and Dam by DNA testing is the most powerful tool available to insure the accuracy or integrity of pedigree records and consequently their value in managing breeding programs.

Appendix Program Progression Yak Description a) Offspring of duly registered Foundation Yaks are eligible for entry in the Foundation Herd Book. b) Unknown or poorly documented yaks may apply to the Registration Committee for participation in the Appendix program. c)  In order to move up a level within the Appendix program it is required that one parent be from a

higher level. An exception is B0xB1 remains a B0.

d) B0: both sire and dam are unknown. Participation must be approved by the Registration Committee.

e) B1: offspring of a B0 and either a B2 or Foundation Yak. Participation must be approved by the Registration Committee if the B0 was not previously approved. f)  B2: offspring of a B1 and a Foundation Yak.

g)  Offspring of a B2 and a Foundation Yak is considered a Foundation Yak.

THE INTERNATIONAL YAK ASSOCIATION

A BREED ASSOCIATION .....not a club

NORTH AMERICAN YAK REGISTRY

A STATE OF THE ART DNA VERIFIED REGISTRY

These 2 photos start our discussion of hybrids. These animals are two examples of Charolais X Bison bulls that were hunted on a game farm. The National Bison Association will not let them exhibit at NWSS. You can see the color dilution effect.

THIS IS A PUREBRED CHAROLAIS BULL. CHAROLAIS IS A BOS TAURUS CATTLE BREED FROM SOUTHERN FRANCE AND WAS WIDELY USED TO CREATE FRAUDULENT "WHITE BISON" AND HAS BEEN CROSSED WITH YAKS IN THE ENDEAVOR TO CREATE WHITE YAKS. YOU WILL SEE BELOW THAT THIS BULL WOULD BE HOMOZYGOUS DC/DC FOR THE CHAROLAIS DILUTION GENE.

This is a beautiful group of Charolais X Red Angus heifers that shows the effect of the Charolais dilution gene on Red Angus. I call these golden red Angus. They would be Heterozygous Dc/Nc having received one Dilution copy Dc from the Charolais bull and one Nc copy of cattle wild type sequence from the Red Angus parent.

This photo shows a Highland cow with a Belted Galloway calf and it's importance here is to show the "Mongrel" potential threat to our Yak Registry if we start allowing Yak/Cattle Hybrids into the Registry. Highlands are another breed that the Registry is receiving Hybrid Applicants from. Some breeders might like to bring Belted Galloway X Yak Hybrids to Denver NWSS and we end up with a "Mongrel Display". It is important to also realize that breeders crossing cattle with yaks seldom, if ever, use purebred cattle for their crossing experiments and you introduce more invisible mongrel genetics into your herd. This would not be true of our National Yak Herd if we hold the line against hybrids.

An ugly Red Angus/Yak cross

One of 3 genetic loci UC Davis has studied within yaks. We are not using this yet. I can say a purebred Red Angus would be Homozygous e/e and the golden red angus cattle shown earlier would probably be e/W having received a W copy from the Charolais. One note also one of the Charolais X Yak Hybrids presented to the Registry tested Dc/Ny W/e suggesting that the Charolais used carried Red Angus genes ie was not a Purebred Charolais.

MC1R W/W W/W: No copy of Red Factor detected.

e/W: 1 copy of Red Factor detected. Animal has cattle ancestry.

e/e: 2 copies of Red Factor detected. Animal is red in color and has cattle ancestry.

The chart on the next page gets to the heart of our genetic testing program. There are two color dilution mutations of the normal cattle and yak wild-type sequence of the Silver gene. These are Dc for the Charolais mutation and Dh for the Highland mutation. The mutation sites are 12 nucleotide pairs separate from each other along the polynucleotide chain. The Normal wild-type sequence of the gene can be differentiated as of cattle origin Nc or yak origin Ny. Bear in mind here that this is one gene and an animal that presents as Ny/Ny shows no cattle introgression at this one gene but is not evidence of yak purity. When we see Nc at this loci in a yak it is highly probable and cannot be excluded that the point of origin traces all the way back to hybridization during domestication in Asia, or in Asia after domestication or in Europe or in Canada or later in the US.

COLOR DILUTION Nc/Ny Dc/Dc: Two copies of Charolais Dilution.

Dc/Ny: One copy of Charolais Dilution. One copy of yak wild-type sequence.

Dc/Nc: One copy of Charolais Dilution. One copy of cattle wild-type sequence.

Dc/Dh: One copy each of Charolais and Highland Dilutions.

Dh/Dh: Two copies of Highland Dilution.

Dh/Ny: One copy of Highland Dilution. One copy of yak wild-type sequence.

Dh/Nc: One copy of Highland Dilution. One copy of cattle wild-type sequence.

Nc/Nc: Two copies of cattle wild-type sequence.

Nc/Ny: One copy each of cattle and yak wild-type sequence.

Ny/Ny: Two copies of yak wild-type sequence.

This test is specific for the mutations in the SILVER gene known to cause color dilution in the Charolais and Highland cattle breeds. The test also classifies the wild-type sequence (full color) as yak or cattle in origin.

Looking at the top of the chart on the previous page: Dc/Dc would be a purebred Charolais. Dc/Ny would be a Charolais X Yak hybrid. Dh/Dh would be a purebred Highland. Dh/Ny would be a Highland X Yak Hybrid. A final note. These two color dilution tests were available for cattle breeds and it took cooperation between Dr. Cecilia Penedo at UC Davis and Dr. Mike Heaton of USDA MARC employing the genome sequence of Queen Allante to calibrate this test to the yak genome to make possible it's employment in yak testing. Many thanks to those of you who contributed to the Yak Genome Sequence Fund.

MITOCHONDRIAL DNA-Cattle Yak- Maternal lineage has yak origin.

Cattle- Maternal lineage has cattle origin.

HYBRIDIZATION ANALYSIS 1. Presence of cattle sequences in either or both the Color Dilution and mtDNA tests provide evidence of hybridization with cattle.

2. Absence of cattle sequences in both Color Dilution and mtDNA tests are not proof of yak "purity".

Case # Silver Dilution MC1R Hybrid Status Color YAK124* Dc/Ny W/e known dilute YAK587* Ny/Ny W known wild-type(black/brown) YAK588 * Dc/Ny W/e known dilute

YAK592* Dc/Ny W known dilute YAK608* Dc/Ny W known dilute YAK630* Dh/Ny W suspect dilute-golden royal YAK631* Dh/Ny W suspect dilute-golden royal YAK636* Ny/Ny W suspect wild-type? White spotted YAK648 * Dh/Ny W suspect dilute-golden royal YAK446* * Ny/Ny W NA wild-type(black/brown) YAK575* * Ny/Nc W NA black

*Hybrid

**Foundation

These are real test results of Hybrids submitted for entry into the Foundation Registry. You can see several presented the Charolais dilution mutation in the test and in phenotype and one of these carried a red e gene. Several golden Royals presented Highland dilution mutation in the test and diluted phenotype.

One of the Golden Royal Applicants to the Foundation Registry showing the genetic test Dh/Ny for Hybrid Highland X Yak. Also note the long head characteristic of cattle x yak hybrids.

A Charolais X Yak Hybrid showing in the genetic test Dc/Ny heterozygous for the Charolais Dilution mutation of the Silver gene. Although she is a pretty animal she cannot enter the North American Yak Registry nor exhibit at IYAK Shows nor enter Charolais Cattle Shows or Registry.

One of the Dc/Ny Hybrid Charolais X Yak hybrids from the prior table with her Imperial calf. This calf did not receive the Charolais Dilution mutation from it's Heterozygous mother and would probably test Ny/Ny. This calf cannot enter the Registry from a known Hybrid mother. It could however, if dissociated from that information, be submitted as an Applicant to the Appendix Program and might get accepted. There are limitations to our screening and breeder integrity is very important.

THE POWER OF PEDIGREE

I study cattle breeds Black Angus, Simmental and Maine Anjou to a lesser extent. My house is filled with cattle sales brochures. The most salient point in these catalogs is the pedigrees. They talk back to the grandparents, the great grandparents and beyond. They go back to this great sire or this great female family. They emphasize great bulls come from great cows or great cow families. With accurate pedigrees they can line breed to great deceased ancestors. In my own breeding program I line breed to one of my Foundation cows Royal Gold C027 I paid $10,000 for and the results have been terrific. I can breed for the hoof of Senior Diamond by following my pedigrees. One person said that an Unknown applicant to the Appendix Program is no more unknown than the early Foundation yaks with no pedigree. This is erroneous as some of these great cows like Queen Allante, the mother of Prince Allante and Wooly Bully, the mother of Dreadlock and Royal Gold the mother of Junior Diamond have established time proven Legacies. This cannot be achieved without a Registry a solid Record of Pedigree.

I present that Parental Verification of Sire and Dam by DNA testing is the most powerful tool available to insure the accuracy and integrity of pedigrees and consequently their value in directing breeding programs.