Multiple genotypes of mitochondrial DNA within a horse population from a small region in Yunnan province of China

mtDNA genotypes of six domestic horses (three adult short horses whose heights are under 1 m and three common domestic horses) from a small region of 15 km2 in Malipo county of Yunnan province of China were investigated by the technique of restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) with 16 restriction endonucleases which recognize 6-bp sequences. An average of 56 fragments for an individual was obtained. Unlike other domestic animals, this population of horses exhibits high mtDNA genetic diversity. Each of the six horses has a specific mtDNA genotype showing a pattern of multiple maternal origins, as suggested by fossil and literature records. We think the population of horses is an amazing seed-resource pool of horses and hence deserves to be paid more attention from the view of conservation genetics. However, it is also remarkable that we did not find any typical mtDNA genetic markers which would discriminate between short horses and common domestic horses.