DNA analyses

DNA analyses on Estonian native sheep has been investigated two times. The first time only the ruhnu island population was investigated whereas the second time included sheep from the whole territory of Estoinia.

During the Unesco-project "Maalamba kui põlisväärtuste säilitamine Eestis" in 2006, coordinated by Estonian Fond for Nature, there was carried out a new genetic research on the native sheep found during the project. This research was carried out by Kaia Leppik at Estonian Fond for Nature, Urmas Saarma at Tartu University, Estonian Native Sheep Association in cooperation with Juha Kantanen at MTT Agrifood Research Finland.

2002:

Grigaliunaite I., Tapio M., Holm L-E., Jeppsson S., Kantanen J., Miceikiene

I., Olsaker I., Viinalass H., Eythorsdottir E. 2002. Weitzman approach and

components of diversity in Northern European sheep breeds. 7th World Congress on Genetics Applied to Livestock Production. pp. 617-620

2005:

Tapio, M; Tapio, I; Grislis, Z; Holm, L-E-; Jeppsson, S; Kantanen, J.; Miceikiene, I.; Olsaker, I.; Viinalass, H. and Eythorsdottir, E. (2005): Native breeds demonstrate high contributions to the molecular variation in northern European sheep. Molecular Ecology. 14, 3951-2963. Publication in pdf.

Tapio, I; Tapio, M; Grislis, Z; Holm, L-E; Jeppsson, S; Kantanen, J; Miceikiene, I; Olsaker, I; Viiinalass,H; Eythorsdottir, E. Unfolding of population structure in Baltic sheep breeds using microsatellite analysis,. Heredity 94. 2005. p 448-456.

Tapio, M; Tapio, I; Grislis, Z; Holma, L-E; Jeppsson, S; Kantanen, J; Miceikiene, I; Olsaker, I; Viinalass, H, Eythorsdottir, E. Native breeds demonstrate high contributions to the molecular variation in northern European sheep. Molecular Ecology 14; 3951-3963. 2005.

2006:

Tapio, M; Marzanov, N; Ozerov, M; Cinkulov, M; Gonzarenko, G; Kiselyova, T; Murawski, M; Viinalass, H; Kantanen, Juha: Sheep mitochondrial DNA variations in European, Caucasian and Central Asian areas. Molecular Biology and Evoluation 23: 1776-1783. 2006.

Tapio, Miika; Origin and maintenance of genetic diversity in northern European sheep. Universitatis Ouluensis. Oulu 2006: A473.

2007:

Tapio, Miika; Ozerov, Mikhail; Viinalass, Haldja; Kiseliova, Tatyan; Kantanen, Juha: Molecular genetic variations in sheep of the central Volga area inhabited by Finno-Ugric peoples. Agricultural and Food Sciences Vol. 16 (2007): 157-169.

2009:

Saarma, Urmas: Eesti ja Euroopa põlistlammaste lugu kahe teadusuuringu valguses. Lk.13-17.Eesti Loodus 20/2009

Saarma, Urmas et.al. (2009): Revealing the History of Sheep Domestication Using Retrovirus Integrations Urmas Saarma, Tartu University

2016:

Rannamäe, Eve; Lõugas, Lembi; Speller, Camilla F.; Valk, Heiki; Maldre, Liina; Wilczyński, Jarosław; Mikhailov, Aleksandr; Saarma, Urmas: Three Thousand Years of Continuity in the Maternal Lineages of Ancient Sheep (Ovis aries) in Estonia. Phlos Phatogen. 12.10.2016

Rannamäe E, Lõugas L, Niemi M, Kantanen J, Maldre L, Kadõrova N, et al. Maternal and paternal genetic diversity of ancient sheep in Estonia from the Bronze Age to the Post-Medieval Period, and comparison with other regions in Eurasia. Anim Genet. 2016;47(2):208–218. doi: 10.1111/age.12407. pmid:26805771

There has been verified five different lines of Estonian native sheep: ruhnu, kihnu, saaremaa, hiiumaa and virumaa lines.