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In Georgia, the study of the genetic diversity of Georgian mountain cow has been conducted

The Scientific-Research Center of Agriculture actively produces finding, restoring, conserving of the local breeds and population of plants, animals, beneficial agricultural insects, etc. and performs multidisciplinary studies, including genetic research associated with them.

It is the studies that are part of these directions that study the genetic diversity of the Georgian local cow, their population-genetic structure and genetic-like connections and with other breeds of cow in the world about their kinship.

From the Center to the Pshav-Khevsurian and Adjarian populations of the Georgian mountain breeds, more than 100 typical individuals were selected for the study and samples were taken for mitochondrial DNA sequencing. The results of the phylogenetic analysis have shown the close genetic connections of individuals of the Georgian mountain cow around the world with various breeds of cattle. At the same time, the Georgian mountain breeds of cow populations were identified previously unknown haplotypes and unique mutations of their mitochondrial genome, which separate the Khevsurian and Adjarian populations from global populations of cow.

Joint studies were carried out in 2020-2024, within the framework of the Shota Rustaveli National Science Foundation Grant Project (№FR-19-21496) "Defining the Genetic Diversity of the Georgian Mountain Cow and determining a kinship with other breeds" and LEPL Scientific-Research Center of Agriculture, Georgian Agrarian University, Ilia State University, G. Natadze Sanitation, Hygiene and Medical Ecology Scientific-Research Institute and the University of Georgia participated in it.

The mitochondrial DNA was seized at the material-technical base of the R. Lougar Center for Public Health Research and at the Molecular-Genetic Laboratory of the Institute of Ecology of Ilia State University. Based on the results of the study, information was prepared for the Global Database for DAD-IS (Domestic Animal Diversity Information System). Also, mitochondrial DNA sequencing data were posted in the National Center for Biotechnology (National Center for Biotechnology Information).

All of the above discoveries provide a solid basis for Georgia to be recognized as the oldest hub of cow.