Thoroughbred Pedigrees Show Little Genetic Diversity

by: Rebecca Splan, MS, PhD
More than 95% of Thoroughbreds share the same paternal lineage, and almost half of the genetic makeup of the breed can be attributed to just 10 foundation horses. These facts are just a few of the recent findings brought to light by a research team at Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland. The group, led by Professor Patrick Cunningham, MS, PhD, used pedigree records from nearly 1,000,000 ...