Resumo: O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar a diversidade genética de bovinos da raça Brahman no Brasil com análise de pedigree. Registros genealógicos de uma subpopulação foram usados, tendo-se considerado toda a informação de pedigree (Pt) e a informação de pedigree dividida em dois períodos (P1, de 1994 a 2004; e P2, de 2005 a 2012) ou de acordo com sistema de criação (Ppt, animais a pasto; ou Pst, estabulados). Foram obtidas as estimativas de coeficientes médios de endogamia, intervalos de geração (IG), número equivalente de gerações conhecidas (EGC), número de fundadores (Nf), número efetivo de fundadores (fe), número efetivo de ancestrais (fa) e número efetivo de genomas remanescentes (fg). Os coeficientes médios de endogamia foram de 11,97, 7,79, 11,95, 11,74 e 11,31% para Pt, P1, P2, Ppt e Pst, respectivamente. O IG médio foi de 4,4 anos, enquanto o EGC médio foi de 3,18. O fe foi próximo de fa, cujos valores foram maiores que os de fg. As razões fe/fa e fg/fe foram próximas de 1, o que indica ausência de gargalo genético e pequenas perdas por deriva genética. A diversidade genética na raça Brahman no Brasil não está significativamente reduzida.

Abstract: The objective of this work was to evaluate the genetic diversity of Brahman cattle in Brazil with pedigree analysis. Genealogical records of a subpopulation were used considering all pedigree information (Pt) and the pedigree information divided into two periods (P1, from 1994 to 2004; and P2, from 2005 to 2012) or according to the raising system (Ppt, animals on pasture; or Pst, on stable). Estimates were obtained for average inbreeding coefficients, generation intervals (GI), number of equivalent known generation (CGE), number of founders (Nf), effective number of founders (fe), effective number of ancestors (fa), and founder genome equivalents (fg). The average inbreeding coefficients were 11.97, 7.79, 11.95, 11.74, and 11.31% for Pt, P1, P2, Ppt, and Pst, respectively. Average GI was 4.4 years, whereas CGE was 3.18. The fe values were similar to those of fa, which were greater than those of fg. The fe/fa and fg/fe ratios were close to 1, which indicates no genetic bottleneck and small losses by genetic drift. The genetic diversity in the Brazilian population of Brahman breed is not significantly reduced.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the association of visual scores of body structure, precocity and muscularity with production (body weight at 18 months and average daily gain) and reproductive (scrotal circumference) traits in Brahman cattle in order to determine the possible use of these scores as selection criteria to improve carcass quality. Covariance components were estimated by the restricted maximum likelihood method using an animal model that included contemporary group as fixed effect. A total of 1,116 observations of body structure, precocity and muscularity were used. Heritability was 0.39, 043 and 0.40 for body structure, precocity and muscularity, respectively. The genetic correlations were 0.79 between body structure and precocity, 0.87 between body structure and muscularity, and 0.91 between precocity and muscularity. The genetic correlations between visual scores and body weight at 18 months were positive (0.77, 0.57 and 0.59 for body structure, precocity and muscularity, respectively). Similar genetic correlations were observed between average daily gain and visual scores (0.60, 0.57 and 0.48, respectively), whereas the genetic correlations between scrotal circumference and these scores were low (0.13, 0.02, and 0.13). The results indicate that visual scores can be used as selection criteria in Brahman breeding programs. Favorable correlated responses should be seen in average daily gain and body weight at 18 months. However, no correlated response is expected for scrotal circumference.