Bio-diversity

According to osteological findings presumably domestication of dogs occurred in the area of Southwest Asia and Southern Europe. Sharplaninian sheep dog represents the only native dog breed in the country. Like other indigenous races this race was created independently and natural without significant impact of human activities. It certainly represents its greatest advantage compared to other breeds. The name comes from the place of occurrence, Sar Planina Mountain. This mountain and its configuration as well the natural and geographical conditions of the region have major influence to genetic stabilization of this dog and certain geographic isolation. In the last two decades, several activities have contributed to the promotion of this breed, first one is setting of the dog to Macedonian denar and placing the stamp application with this breed. The dog is stressed as the indigenous population, but race is left solely to the care lovers and breeders of this breed. This breed is left out in the overall legislation in the Republic of Macedonia, which is not the case with other dog breeds in the neighboring countries. Also there is no accurate record of the number of the kennel, the number of beds, the size of the population (sex ratio distribution units) application of crossbreeding with phenotypic similar races and other activities that contribute to the dropout of gene pool and uniqueness of the genome of this breed. In the past, few studies were done were primarily aim was identification and description of the phenotype of the breed, but the result of these activities can be seen mainly in publications without concrete action for the conservation of this dog breed. The main objective of the project is the conservation of the breed, promoting and protecting of biodiversity of this breed. The main aim of this project will be accompanied by appropriate activities that would define future directions for the development and maintenance of race. Proposed project activities provide morphological characterization breed (exterior measures and their further processing, comparison with data from the literature and determine the degree of variability of the breed), establishing pedigree database in order to reduce the degree of inbreeding, but also to recognize the effective population size of the recorded population. Furthermore, the application of modern DNA methods in research genome of this breed will allow for the first time characterization of biological diversity DNA level. However, the formation of a new breeding spots on multiple locations in the state, which would be entered in the pedigree database, would actually represent a selected in situ conserved population of the breed. Finally all planed activities would result in the definition of` identity card" of this indigenous dog breed in the Republic of Macedonia.

Macedonia