Suri/Huacaya phenotype inheritance in alpaca (Vicugna pacos)

Abstract

The Suri/Huacaya phenotype inheritance in alpaca was tested on two independent Peruvian sources of records: the Registry of Mallkini farm (588 offspring by Suri sire x Suri dam from 62 paternal half sib families, and 2,126 offspring by Huacaya sire x Huacaya dam from 177 paternal half sib families) and the results of the Quimsachata INIA ILLPA Puno experimental trial (two reciprocal experimental test-crosses, involving a total of 17 unrelated males and 149 unrelated females). The data support a genetic model in which two linked loci must simultaneously be homozygous for recessive alleles in order to produce the Huacaya phenotype. The estimated recombination rate between these loci was 0.099 (95% C.L. = 0.029-0.204). The birth of 3 Suri offspring from Huacaya x Huacaya mating is explained by a new dominant mutation on some germinal lines of Huacaya animals. The direct mutation rate can be estimated at 0.0014.