<div>Background:&nbsp;In Pakistan, the naked neck chickens are characterized on the base of plumage colors such as black, white black, light brown and dark brown. There is scanty of information on hatching traits in different phenotypes of naked neck chicken. The current study aimed to investigate and compare the hatching traits in four phenotypes of naked neck chicken (black, white black, light brown and dark brown). 
 
Methods:&nbsp;In total, 300 females (20 weeks old) comprising four plumage colors (black, white black, light brown and dark brown), 75 from each, were randomly assigned to 20 replicates (15/replicate) under a completely randomized design (CRD). Number of settable eggs, fertility, hatch of fertile, hatchability, embryonic mortality and chick quality parameters were evaluated. 
 
Result:&nbsp;The results showed higher settable eggs, fertility and hatchability in black, dark brown and light brown phenotypes than that of the white black whereas better hatch of fertile and reduced embryonic mortality were recorded in black and dark brown phenotypes as compared to white black. Better chick quality was observed in dark brown phenotype followed by light brown, black and then white black. Phenotypes other than white black had better hatching performance, hence could be used to revive backyard poultry farming.</div>

​​Comparative Evaluation of Hatching Traits in Four Phenotypes of Naked Neck Chicken

<div>Background: Kachchhi-Sindhi horses are famous for their &lsquo;Rewal chal&rsquo; (a unique style of running). These horses dominantly exist in the western-northern border of India adjoining Pakistan. The breeding tract of these horses is Surat, Navsari, Kachchh district of Gujarat and Jaisalmer-Barmer districts of Rajasthan in India. Most familiar colors in the Kachchhi-Sindhi horses are bay and chestnut. Roman nose, ears curved at tips but not touching each other, short back, short pastern length, broader hoof for better grip and docile temperament are major characteristics of these horses. 
 
Methods: The present study is an effort to phenotypically characterize Kachchhi-Sindhi horse breed based on their different biometric indices for selection and conservation of stallions and mares for breeding purposes by private breeders. Fourteen biometric indices were recorded for phenotypic characterization of each breed viz., height at wither (HW), body length (BL), heart girth (HG), neck length (NL), face length (FL), face width (FW), pole, ear length (EL), ear width (EW), foreleg length (FLL), canon, pastern, hoof length (HoL) and hoof width (HoW). On average, these horses stand 148 cm height, have a body length of ~140 cm, a heart girth of ~165 cm, an ear length of ~15 cm and a face length of ~61 cm. 
 
Result: Horse keepers sustain horses in intensive as well as an extensive system of rearing. It has also been ascertained from various sources that horse number is declining rapidly, however, breed population statistics are not available. There is, therefore, an urgent need to conserve this breed. Proper managemental practices and conservation efforts will pave the way for the multiplication of this valuable equine genetic resource of India.</div>

<div>Phenotypic Characterization of Kachchhi-Sindhi Horses of India</div>

<div>Background: Notable advancements in the selection indices have led to the development of exceptional breeding strategies, which have eventually led to the selection of elite dairy animals. The comparison of trends is facilitated by their estimation which permit the assessment of progress in a particular trait. The purpose of this study was to investigate genetic trends in economic traits of Murrah buffaloes, which is predominantly present as a high milk producer using the regression method. The study was designed to estimate the phenotypic, genetic and environmental trends, which represent the changes accrued over time and hence, determines the efficiency of breeding programme. 
 
Methods: The present study was conducted on 659 Murrah buffaloes, sired by 188 bulls, over a period of 27 years (1991-2017). The economic traits studied were first lactation milk yield (FLMY), first lactation length (FLL), age at first calving (AFC), first calving interval (FCI), first service period (FSP) and first dry period (FDP). The phenotypic trends were obtained as regression of population performance on year and the genetic trends were obtained by Smith method I and II. 
 
Result: The results revealed that the phenotypic trends obtained were significant and desirable for all the traits except for first lactation length, which was non-significant. The standard errors obtained by Smith method-I were higher than those obtained from method-II. As the Smith method-II avoids year to year fluctuations in the environment and those of contemporaries, it gives more realistic estimate as compared to the first method with lower standard error.</div>

<div>Estimation of Phenotypic and Genetic Trends in Economic Traits of Murrah Buffaloes</div>

The missing link between nature and nurture i.e. epigenetics is the process of turning genes on and off or can be explained as a phenomenon that includes all the process that affects phenotypic expressions without causing any alteration in the genetic sequence. Epigenetic regulation can be done by post-translational modification of histones but is also linked to the regulation of gene expression by non-coding RNAs, genome instabilities or any other force that could modify a phenotype. Epigenomic patterns in various tissues reveal the regulatory functions of epigenetic mechanisms in livestock growth and health. DNA methylation modifications can explain poor offspring performance due to maternal stressors like metabolic disorder, heat stress and negative energy balance. It is an attractive field for livestock breeding, as it can help identify missing causality and heritability of traits and diseases. Certain methylation patterns are more likely to increase in specific environments, explaining phenotypic diversity between individuals. Accurate recording of the environment and epigenomes can provide more accurate and precise calculations of phenotypic variance. Methods to estimate the contribution of epigenetics to covariance between relatives have been developed which can be beneficial for obtaining favorable methylation patterns that impact disease resistance and economic traits.

Epigenetics: Unraveling Hidden Phenotypic Diversity in Livestock

Background: The advancements achieved in artificial intelligence (AI) technology in recent decades have not yet been equaled by agricultural phenotyping approaches that are both rapid and precise. Efficient crop phenotyping technologies are necessary to enhance crop improvement endeavors in order to fulfill the projected demand for food in future.&nbsp; 
 
Methods: This work demonstrates a method for non-destructive physiological state phenotyping of plants using cutting-edge image processing methods in conjunction with chlorophyll fluorescence imaging. Key fluorescence metrics, such as fv/fm and NPQ, were extracted from images taken at different phases of development via processing. In addition, this research explores the transformative role of automated image analysis in high-throughput phenotyping of legume traits. A comprehensive examination of recent studies reveals the diverse applications of machine learning and deep learning algorithms in capturing morphological traits, assessing physiological parameters, detecting stress and diseases in various legume species. The comparative analysis underscores the superiority of automated systems over traditional methods, emphasizing scalability and efficiency. Challenges, including algorithm sensitivity and environmental variability, are identified, urging further refinement. Recommendations advocate for standardized metrics, interdisciplinary collaborations and user-friendly platforms to enhance accessibility. As the field evolves, the integration of automated image analysis holds promise for revolutionizing legume phenotyping, accelerating crop improvement and contributing to global food security in sustainable agriculture. 
 
Result: The findings demonstrate that the proposed method is effective in illuminating how plants respond to their environment, hence promoting advancements in plant phenotyping and agricultural research.

Leveraging Image Analysis for High-throughput Phenotyping of Legume Plants

Vachellia karroo is an important pasture legume which fixes nitrogen through its symbiotic relationship with rhizobia. Thirty two indigenous rhizobia were isolated from four different morphotypes of V. karroo obtained from four agro-ecologically diverse areas of South Africa. Phenotypic characterization of isolates revealed that they have the same colony morphology. Numeric analysis of the isolates&rsquo; phenotypic characteristics produced six clusters at 83% level of relative similarity. High variation of the isolates growth in different temperatures, salt concentration, pH, antibiotic resistance and heavy metal resistance was also noted. Carbon source utilization was generally the same for all isolates. Isolates that tolerated a wide range of test conditions are recommended as potentially highly competitive V. karroo inoculants for use in various climatic and soil conditions.

Phenotypic characterisation of rhizobia nodulating different&nbsp;morphotypes of Vachellia karroo

<div style="text-align: justify;">Animal coloration is a powerful model for studying the genetic mechanisms that determine animal phenotypes. But, there has not been comprehensive characterization of the molecular basis of the complex patterns of coat color phenotype variation in wild boars. This study results indicated that the wild-type allele E+ of the MC1R gene was a dominant allele in wild boars and was not responsible for black, brown or other coat color phenotypes. A novel mutation c.695 T &gt; C was identified in the 3&cent;-UTR of the ASIP gene. The association analysis showed that the C mutation allele was highly significantly associated with wild-type coat colors between wild boars and Western pig breeds (P=1.35E-33). A non-synonymous g.2254 G &gt; A substitution was found in exon 2 of the TYRP1 gene (p.143His&gt;Arg). The association analysis demonstrated that the G mutation allele was also significantly associated with wild-type coat colors between wild boars and Western pig breeds (P = 5.09E-10). In short, a few mutation sites in MC1R, ASIP, and TYRP1 genes were identified and surveyed several polymorphisms molecular variations in Chinese wild boars. In our identified mutations have caused the morphological diversity in wild boars, but did not influence coat color phenotype variation in some domesticated pig breeds. The conclusion was obtained that some mutations in color-associated genes were associated with wild-type coat colors in wild boar population, and that similar coat colorations observed in domesticated pig and wild boars can be the product of underlying differences in the genetic basis of color variants.&nbsp;</div>

The mutations within MC1R, TYRP1, ASIP genes and their effects on phenotypes of coat color in wild pigs (Sus scrofa ussuricus )

Background: Sheep resistant to gastrointestinal nematodes (GIN) is preliminary selected based on faecal egg count (FEC) and in the present study some important phenotypic markers including FEC were evaluated in Garole sheep. 
 
Methods: FEC, FAMACHA score and body condition score (BCS) of sixty Garole sheep of Sundarban delta were evaluated at monthly interval for one year. Some haemato-biochemical parameters (Hb, PCV, eosinophil count, total protein) were also measured and compared between the preliminary resistant and susceptible sheep. 
 
Result: Twenty Garole sheep showing persistently low FEC were considered as preliminary resistant sheep and forty sheep showing variable EPG were considered as preliminary susceptible sheep. FAMACHA score and BCS were (P&lt;0.05) higher in resistant sheep. All the haemato-biochemical parameters were also (P&lt;0.05) higher in resistant sheep. One resistant Garole sheep did not have higher value of other phenotypic markers except low FEC. Whereas, three susceptible sheep showed higher values of other phenotypic markers instead of high EPG. Hence other phenotypic indicators should also be considered along with FEC while selecting GIN resistant and susceptible sheep.

Evaluation of Some Phenotypic Indicators of Gastrointestinal Nematode Resistance in Garole Sheep

Background: Tupaia belangeri is increasingly recognized as an essential animal model in neuroscience, metabolic disorders and emerging infectious diseases due to its close phylogenetic relationship to primates and its small body size. Phenotypic traits are crucial for studying biological systems. Tree shrews are widely used in environmental adaptation research due to their genetic diversity and phenotypic polymorphism. The measurement of its physical indicators and skull provides a new perspective for exploring the adaptive characteristics of different tree shrew populations. Establishing population-specific morphometric reference values is therefore essential for standardizing veterinary dosing and ensuring translational reliability when tree shrews are used as models for metabolic, neurodegenerative, or emerging infectious diseases. 
 
Methods: To elucidate the phenotypic diversity of the Tree shrew (Tupaia belangeri) and its relationship with environmental factors, the present study measured the body shape and skull indicators of 134 individuals across 12 regions. 
 
Result: The results showed that there had significant phenotypic differences between different geographic populations, with inter population variation significantly greater than intra population variation, indicating that differentiation mainly occurs between populations. Especially Daxin population (T. b. tonquinia) and the Hainan population (T. b. modesta) had larger body mass and length, whereas the Kunming population (T. b. chinensis) was relatively smaller. Environmental factor analysis revealed significant correlations between latitude, altitude, annual average temperature, atmospheric pressure and precipitation with the morphological traits of tree shrews, with altitude had the most significant impact on phenotypic differences. The clustering and principal component analysis results also confirmed the geographical differentiation of the tree shrew in morphological studies. The research findings emphasized the role of environmental factors in shaping the phenotypic diversity of the tree shrew and provide important insights into the evolution and ecological adaptation of this species, which was of great significance for biodiversity conservation and ecosystem management. 
&nbsp;

Phenotypic Diversity of Tree Shrews (Tupaia belangeri) with Implications for Biomedical Animal Research

Majority of the Kargil sheep populations are indigenous. Very scanty information is available for morphological characterization of Purky sheep population. Therefore, the present study was undertaken with the objectives to study the morpho-metric characteristics and body measurements for phenotypic characterization of the local sheep. A stratified random sample survey was conducted on various parameters (horn size, tail size, chest girth, punch girth, body length, height at wither and body weight) in seven different age groups. Data were collected randomly from 510 sheep of either sex. The local sheep population of Kargil which was selected for the present investigation is named as &lsquo;Purky&rsquo; by the name of the community that reared this breed. In Purky sheep white body colour was predominant in both the sexes. The sheep breed was of low to medium body weight. The chest girth, punch girth, height at withers of Purky sheep showed it to be medium sized. Sex had significant effect (P&lt;0.05) on height at wither only. For males the least squares means were higher for all the traits of all age groups baring few exceptions. The phenotypic correlations of age groups with different morpho-metric traits were very high. The phenotypic correlations of &nbsp;body weight with other body measurements like tail size, chest girth, paunch girth, body length and height at wither were very high. Further studies should be carried out to fully exploit their genetic potential and to register the breed and in-situ conservation of this population. 
&nbsp;

Comparative Evaluation of Hatching Traits in Four Phenotypes of Naked Neck Chicken

Phenotypic Characterization of Kachchhi-Sindhi Horses of India

Estimation of Phenotypic and Genetic Trends in Economic Traits of Murrah Buffaloes

Epigenetics: Unraveling Hidden Phenotypic Diversity in Livestock

Leveraging Image Analysis for High-throughput Phenotyping of Legume Plants

Phenotypic characterisation of rhizobia nodulating different morphotypes of Vachellia karroo

The mutations within MC1R, TYRP1, ASIP genes and their effects on phenotypes of coat color in wild pigs (Sus scrofa ussuricus )

Evaluation of Some Phenotypic Indicators of Gastrointestinal Nematode Resistance in Garole Sheep

Phenotypic Diversity of Tree Shrews (Tupaia belangeri) with Implications for Biomedical Animal Research

Phenotypic characterization of Purky sheep population of Kargil district