Abstract
Eighty-nine females of Mishima cattle reared in Mishima Island in 1995 were divided into 6 groups according to maternal lines. In the present study, 2 animals each from 5 lines out of 6 were selected for analysis of the D-loop region of mitochondrial DNA. According to the variants obtained from the analysis, Mishima cattle was assigned into 2 maternal lineages. Maternal lines Takatada, Kamekichi and Yoshimaki were classified as haplotype M1, and Mimatsu and Shiraume were classified as haplotype M2. Thus, 5 maternal lines of Mishima cattle were categorized into 2 lineages, which means that the genetic diversity of Mishima cattle is quite low. The frequency of M2 was only 14.6% of all the Mishima cattle in Mishima Island in 1995. It is particulary necessary to take measures to conserve haplotype M2 immediately.
