Study on Origin and Phylogeny Status of Hu Sheep

Applying simple random sampling in typical colony methods in the central area of habitat, 14 structural loci and 31 alleles in blood enzyme and other protein variations of Hu sheep population are examined. After collecting the same data of 11 loci about the 22 sheep colonies in China and other countries, it clusters the 23 sheep populations by fuzzy cluster analysis. The study proves that the phylogenetic relationship between Hu sheep population and Mongolia populations is relatively closed. This result obtained is shown to conform to the historical data. (Asian-Aust. J. Anim. Sci. 2003. Vol 16, No. 5 : 743-747)


INTRODUCTION
Hu sheep, as a special local sheep breed of China, it also is one of the several white breeds of the world.Now, there are about 1 million Hu sheep in partial regions of Zhejiang province, Jiangsu province and Shanghai city.Under the given environment of Taihu Lake valley, it has premature,percennial oestrus and other excellent traits with high reproduction charater.For a long time, there are several different views about the origin of Hu sheep.Someone thinks it originated from Mongol sheep of Yuan Dynasty.Someone thinks it originated from Mongol sheep or Han sheep in Shandong of Nanshong dynasty.Someone thinks it originated from north sheep of "Five Dynasties" times (A. D. 907-A. D. 960).The aim of this paper is to provide new bases for discussing the origin and phylogenetic status among other sheep populations in Asian and European.

Sampling methods
Applying simple random sampling in typical colony methods in the central area of habitat (Huzhou City Zhejiang Province), 63 Hu sheep were selected.Blood samples are collected and treated according to references (Zhang et al., 1997;Li , 1982).

Statistical analysis
The frequency and variance of genes are estimated according to sample structure and sample size of the populations.The following two formulae are used to calculate the reliability (β) that ensures the estimate does not deviate from the true value more than 0.5 times and the relative deviation (η) when the reliability reaches 0.9545.
In the above formula, P and V (P) strand for gene frequency and variance, respectively;λis the standardized deviation of the estimate and is suitable for the first formula when its standardized deviation is Phylogenetic relationship cluster According to the frequency of the genetic loci 11 in each population, the following formula is used to describe the fuzzy consistency relationship matrix of the similarity between populations and to compose the fuzzy similarity relation.Thus population cluster is achieved.for population X, population Y and the probability average among loci of the same alleles acquired at random form the first two populations.µ R (x, y) stands for the membership function under the fuzzy consistency relation R between X and Y populations.
Table 1.Abbreviation, sampling source and data source of 23 sheep populations in China and other countries

RESULTS
Frequency distribution of blood enzyme and other protein loci accuracy and reliability of the estimate of gene frequencies of Hu sheep are shown in Table 2.
Table 2 The estimators of gene frequencies in structural loci of Hu sheep population of the 14 loci tested, 13 have polymorphism.It is seen from table 2 that the reliability of estimate of 25 alleles apart from P 0 F , Tf A , Tf F , Hb-β F , CA F , Ke L and their reliability is 0.5222, 0.7416, 0.5222, 0.6156, 0.8990 and 0.9050 respectively.So these data may serve as statistical analysis of phylogenetic relationship (Chang et al., 1995).

Phylogenetic clusters
The interal and external data are quoted, phylogenetic clusters are performed as standard genetic distance based on gene frequency of 11 blood enzymes and other protein loci  Tsunoda et al., 1988Tsunoda et al., , 1990 Che Cheviot Sheep, raised in Japan Tsunoda et al., 1988Tsunoda et al., , 1990 Cor Corriedale Sheep, raised in Japan Tsunoda et al., 1988Tsunoda et al., , 1990 Bor Border Leicester Sheep, raised in Japan Tsunoda et al., 1988Tsunoda et al., , 1990 Fin Finnish Landrace Sheep, raised in Japan Tsunoda et al., 1988Tsunoda et al., , 1990 HY Hu Sheep, Huzhou city, Zhejiang Province,China This study, 2001  3.
Figure 1 shows the phylogenetic relationship among 23 populations, the base of which is the fuzzy similarity matrix.
From figure 1,we can see that on the value level of 0.9783, Hu sheep population, Kha-KH, Kha-UB populations of Mongolia and Yun-LN populations of Yunnan are clustered; Corriedale sheep and 7 Asian populations are clustered on the value level of 0.9837; Finnish Landrace sheep dissociate from some Asian and European populations.

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS
Phylogenetic clusters is a basic methods to analyze origin of livestock and poultry, probing relative osculation degree among breeds within species or populations quantitatively.It represents a new idea, makes up the shortcoming of classical clusters which ignores the continuity of difference among breeds.It may reflect a dynamic bloodline .
* The zero before the decimal point of the data is omitted in this table.
social factors, it forms a unique sheep breed----Hu sheep gradually.Finnish Landrace sheep dissociates among some Asian and European populations.This fact reminds us of the background of evolution.Until the 16th century, there has no record about Finnish, which belongs to ural phylum.Some linguists think that ural and Altai belongs to the same phylum.Under this society background, it is possible to keep part neutral stauctual loci which restricts blood protein for Finnish Lardrace sheep.
In addition, the phylogenetic relationship between Corriedale sheep and some Asian sheep populations is relatively closer, the cause of which awaits further investigation (Note: Mr. Geng Rongqing now is in the Teacher College of Yancheng).

Table 1 .
Abbreviation, sampling source and data source of 23 sheep populations in China and other countries

Table 2 .
The estimaters of gene frequencies in structural loci of Hu sheep population