Work Package 4

Objectives Genetic diversity in rare breeds /populations offers alternative solutions for sustainable development, and further adaptation to climate vulnerability especially when these breeds are adapted in harsh environments like high salinity. The objectives of the WP4 are: O4.1. To explore the genetic diversity of the studied sheep and goats’ populations/breeds in the targeted areas, O4.2. To identify high impact candidate alleles that may contribute to adaptation in areas with salinity and harsh environment. O4.3. To identify genomic regions under selection across the studied local breeds/populations and major commercial European sheep and goat breeds adapted to a wide-range of natural environments