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Applied Science Reports
www.pscipub.com/ASR
E-ISSN: 2310-9440 / P-ISSN: 2311-0139
DOI: 10.15192/PSCP.ASR.2015.10.1.3844
App. Sci. Report.
10 (1), 2015: 38-44
© PSCI Publications
Phenotypic Characterization of Native Bovine Population in
Northern Tunisia
R. Baccouche1, B. Jemmali2, M. Haddad3, N. M’Hamdi1, M Ben Hamouda4
1. Institut National Agronomique de Tunisie
2. Laboratoire ADIPARA, Ecole Supérieure d'Agriculture de Mateur, Tunisie
3. Fondation Nationale d’Amélioration de la race Chevaline, Sidi Thabet, Tunisie
4. Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique de Tunisie
Corresponding author: R. Baccouche
Paper Information
ABSTRACT
This study aims to describe the native bovine population in Tunisia. This
Received: 17 December, 2014
description is based morphological traits. An inventory was conducted in
three governorates of North Tunisia (Bizerte, Béja and Manouba). A total
Accepted: 19 February, 2015
of 220 animals were described. Animals were individually described by 26
discontinuous descriptors. The results showed that the local cattle
Published: 20 April, 2015
population is formed of two types; la Blonde du Cap Bon and la Brune de
l’Atlas. It turns out that these animals have many similarities. The analysis
of variance (ANOVA) revealed eight significant variables with location
Citation
effect and seven with the gender effect. Multiple factor analysis (MFA)
generated two distinct groups of animals that differ only in the characters
Baccouche R, Jemmali B, Haddad M, Hamdi MN,
Hamouda MB. 2015. Phenotypic Characterization of
related to the horns. Gender and geographical location have not
Native Bovine Population in Northern Tunisia. Applied
contributed in this distribution. The discriminant factorial analysis (AFD),
Science Reports, 10(1), 38-44. Retrieved from
using the locality as discriminatory factor, did not allow to group
www.pscipub.com
individuals according to the region because they form a single group. The
(DOI:10.15192/PSCP.ASR.2015.10.1.3844)
hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) has revealed three classes. The only
variables that were the cause of this dissimilarity are the profile of the back
and the orientation of the horns. It shows in the last analysis that the local
cattle population is diversified. This variability is neither gender nor the
geographic location implying that the phenotypic diversity within the local
cattle population is an individual variability.
© 2015 PSCI Publisher All rights reserved.
Key words: native bovine, population, phenotypic diversity, qualitative characters, ANOVA, MFA, HCA.
Introduction
Native cattle play social and cultural roles and are ranked as the most valued animal in Tunisian farming system.
It is adaptable and able to survive and perform under poor conditions. So, Tunisian cattle resulting from brown twig, type
brown of Atlas. In the early 18th century, they have faced the piroplasmosis bacilliform disease which led the colonial
authorities to import zebu breeds of India « Sindhi » and « Brahamas » and cross them to make the disease disappear. The
results of crosses were satisfying. Although this population is hardy and adapt easily to climate changes, its productivity
remain limited. This prompted the authorities after the independence to introduce specialized breeds to ensure selfsufficiency in milk and thus satisfy the consumer who has had changes in his eating habits. These crosses have affected
these cattle’s genetic structure, which is very confusing nowadays (Djemali and Berger, 1992). The downside these crosses
is that these specialized breeds have adjustment problems that will worsen as a result of climate changes scenarios (FAO,
2008). It is in this perspective that the need to conserve this population is introduced. Several studies indicate that the local
cattle population is formed of two races namely; the Blonde of Cap Bon, and the Brown of the Atlas which divides into
two branches: the gray branch and the tawny branch. The Blonde of Cap Bon is characterized by a white coat, the tawny
branch of the brown of the atlas by a tawny color, while the gray branch is characterized by a gray or black color. This
study aims to identify individuals in the population by phenotypic characterization and a short description of the breeding
system. A survey was conducted in three governorates (Bizerte, Béja and Manouba).
Materials and methods
The study was conducted in three districts namely; Bizerte, Béja, and Mannouba (Figure 1). A survey was
undertaken in 2013 and 2014. Collected information included 220 cows selected randomly for this study from the three
studied sites (Table 1). Structured questionnaires were used to collect information on the location of the farm, the breeds,
uses and preferences of breeds, adaptive, breeding and management.
App. Sci. Report. 10 (1), 2015: 38-44
Table 1. The collected sample’s number at different sites
District
Locality
Bizerte
Séjnène
Béja
Manouba
Total
Nevza
Amdoun
Location
Oued ezzen
Louka 2
Ouled Hmed
Araguib
Cap Sirat
M’chergua
Wled Ghanem
Gafaya
Number of animals
15
17
23
32
76
35
11
11
Total
163
46
11
220
Figure 1. Map of Tunisia indicating the study zones
Phenotypic characterization of animals
Photo shoots of each animal were established. Animals were individually described by the discontinuous
descriptors defined by the FAO (2012). There are 26 descriptors; Body hair, coat, color pattern, body hair coat color, body
skin color, hair type, muzzle color, eyelid color, hoof color, horn presence, horn attachment, horn shape, horn orientation,
horn color, ear shape, ear orientation, hump presence, hump size, hump position, hump shape, backline profile, dewlap
size, rump profile, navel flap, tail attachment, tail length, facial profile and penis sheath for males.
Statistical analysis
All data were processed using Microsoft Excel 2007 Microsoft Office. Many statistical analyzes were used to
describe and classes animals and identify the most significant characters in the differentiation. Indeed, a descriptive
statistical analysis was carried out at the beginning followed by analysis of variance (ANOVA), multiple factor analysis
(MFA), discriminant factorial analysis (AFD) and hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA). The XLSTAT software was used in
this study (Addinsoft, Paris, France, 2007).
The model used for ANOVA was: Y= μ + X+ ε
Where:
Y= the studied traits
µ = means of trait
X= the fixed effect
ε = residual error
Results and discussions
Descriptive analysis
Information on a total of 220 native cows were collected of which 198 females (90%) and 22 males (10%). The
average age of the animals is 60 ± 42 months. Table 2 shows the different qualitative traits studied with their modalities,
numbers and frequencies. We noticed a phenotypic similarity among animals of local population. Since for most studied
traits, there is always a modality that has a very high frequency compared to the others. Four coat colors are found; white,
gray, tawny and black. This confirms the existence of two ecotypes: la Blonde du Cap Bon and la brune de l’Atlas. Our
finding was in agreement with those of many studies in Tunisia (Bel hadj, 1972; Atti et al., 1987 and Ben Belgecem,
2005). The brune de l’Atlas is the most encountered (98.12%) population, which is mainly composed by tawny branch
subjects. Only four individuals are belongs to the Blonde du Cap Bon. 22.27% of the population studied had a medium
size hump with thoracic position and an erected orientation. 9% of individuals have a large navel. These two traits are
similar to those of Zebu of India.
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App. Sci. Report. 10 (1), 2015: 38-44
Table 2. Morphological characterization of native cattle
Traits
Body hair coat color pattern
Color body hair coat
Body skin color
Hair type
Muzzle color
Eyelid color
Hoof color
Horn presence
Horn attachment
Horn shape
Horn orientation
Horn color
Ear shape
Ear orientation
Hump presence
Backline profile
Dewlap size
Rump profile
Navel flap
Tail attachment
Tail length
Facial profile
Modalities
pie
spotted
uniform
white
tawny
grey
black
Not pigmented
Pigmented
glossy/curly
glossy/straight
dull/curly
dull/straight
Not pigmented
pigmented
not pigmented
pigmented
not pigmented
pigmented
absent
present
One horn
Two horn
straight
curved
Lyre shape
lateral
backward
forward
upward
white
fawn
black
stamped
straight
rounded
lateral
drooping
erect
absent
present
straight
slopes up towards the rump
slopes down from withers
dipped
large
medium
small
sloping
roofy
flat
large
medium
small
low
high
short
long
medium
concave
convex
straight
Observations
15
4
201
4
163
26
27
2
2
2
69
10
139
164
56
48
172
14
206
5
215
5
210
44
155
16
17
5
33
160
35
9
146
25
50
170
205
7
8
171
49
106
4
63
47
40
117
63
189
17
14
20
33
167
114
106
39
92
89
132
17
71
Fréquency (%)
6,82
1,82
91,36
1,82
74,09
11,82
12,27
90,91
9,09
0,91
31,36
4,55
63,18
74,55
25,46
21,82
78,18
6,36
93,64
2,27
97,73
2,33
97,67
20,47
72,09
7,44
7,9
2,33
15,34
74,41
16,28
4,19
67.90
11,63
22,73
77,27
93,18
3,18
3,64
77,72
22,27
48,18
1,82
28,64
21,36
18,18
53,18
28,64
85,91
7,73
6,36
9,09
15
75,91
51,82
48,18
17,73
41,82
40,46
60
7,73
32,27
Analysis of variance
The probabilities associated with location effect are significant for some variables at α level of 5%, as shown in
Table 3. There are eight variables: Body hair coat color pattern, Body skin color, Hair type, Muzzle color, eyelid color,
horn orientation and color, hump presence, navel flap, and facial profile. The probabilities associated with the sex effect
are significant (P< 0.05) for seven descriptors (Table 2): presence, attachment, orientation, and color of horn, navel flap
and tail length.
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App. Sci. Report. 10 (1), 2015: 38-44
Table 3. Results of one factor analysis of variance to a factor on morphological descriptors.
Location (ddl=7)
R²
F
0,072
2,347
0,061
1,977
0,094
3,144
0,186
6,937
0,097
3,251
0,107
3,613
0,052
1,663
0,026
0,816
0,028
0,885
0,058
1,848
0,083
2,735
0,082
2,699
0,048
1,540
0,034
1,060
0,111
3,772
0,037
1,164
0,032
1,007
0,012
0,364
0,088
2,923
0,059
1,899
0,038
1,187
0,092
3,083
Traits
Body hair coat color pattern
Color body hair coat
Body skin color
Hair type
Muzzle color
Eyelid color
Hoof color
Horn presence
Horn attachment
Horn shape
Horn orientation
Horn color
Ear shape
Ear orientation
Hump presence
Backline profile
Dewlap size
Rump Profile
Navel flap
Tail attachment
Tail length
Facial profile
Pr > F
0,025
0,060
0,004
< 0,0001
0,003
0,001
0,120
0,575
0,519
0,080
0,010
0,011
0,155
0,391
0,001
0,325
0,428
0,922
0,006
0,071
0,312
0,004
Gender (ddl=1)
R²
F
0,002
0,368
0,007
1,440
0,003
0,607
0,017
3,756
0,003
0,677
0,001
0,188
0,001
0,303
0,023
5,190
0,020
4,495
0,000
0,099
0,023
5,095
0,028
6,227
0,005
1,146
0,019
4,198
0,002
0,350
0,006
1,343
0,001
0,317
0,000
0,043
0,268
79,768
0,002
0,514
0,023
5,078
0,000
0,031
Pr > F
0,545
0,231
0,437
0,054
0,411
0,665
0,583
0,024
0,035
0,753
0,025
0,013
0,286
0,042
0,555
0,248
0,574
0,836
< 0,0001
0,474
0,025
0,860
R2: Total variance explained by Imada or sex effect; F: Fischer value; Pr: Probability
Multiple factorial analysis (MFA)
Multiple factorial analysis classify studied traits into two groups of variables; color and general conformation.
The results generated by this analysis provide several interpretable factors. Indeed, the eigen value of each variable was
examined which shows its contribution in explaining the distribution of animals. Based on the results presented in Table 4,
the first two axes explained 17.3% of the total inertia. The first axis is related to the overall conformation variables group
with high coordinates and contributions respectively of 0.9 and 62.12. As for the second dimension, it is linked to two
groups of variables namely color and general conformation with a contribution of 52.35 and 47.65.
An RV coefficient of the link between groups of variables was shown in Table 5. It shows the absence of
correlation between gender and locality with the two groups of variables. Figure 2 shows the spatial distribution of
individuals (cases) and morphology’s traits. Animals were clustered into three separate groups. The first opposes five
individuals (B103, B84, B88, B82, B54) to others, since they are distinguished by absence of horns. However, the second
axis contains the majority of animals (215) and it is constituted by other morphology’s traits. This analysis does not
provide enough information about the phenotypic diversity of the local cattle population. This is confirmed by the lower
eigen value of the two explicative axes (value???). A discriminant analysis seems to be very important to explain
phenotypic diversity.
Table 4. Eigen values of the MFA conducted on the morphological characteristics of native cattle, coordinates and group contribution
Eigenvalues
Variability (%)
cumulated
Coordinates
Color
General Conformation
Locality
Sex
Contribution
Color
General Conformation
Factor 1
1,481
9,748
9,748
Factor 2
1,146
7,545
17,293
Factor 3
0,886
5,833
23,126
0,561
0,920
0,042
0,023
0,600
0,546
0,115
0,009
0,611
0,275
0,007
0,000
37,878
62,122
52,350
47,650
69,012
30,988
Table 5. Matrix of the links between groups of variables: Coefficients RV
Group
Color
General Conformation
Locality
Sex
MFA
Color
1
0,185
0,069
0,023
0,822
General Conformation
locality
sex
1
0,044
0,073
0,713
1
0,015
0,075
1
0,059
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App. Sci. Report. 10 (1), 2015: 38-44
Figure 2. Representation of the groups in the MFA on morphological data of native cattle
Discriminant analysis (AFD)
Figure 3 shows the distribution of individuals according to the locality factor. According to this analysis, the first
two axes have 84% of the total variability. There is an overlap between animals of different localities. The distribution is
very diffuse and animals form superposed groups where the dissimilarity between them is not obvious enough. Moreover,
we noticed that phenotypic diversity of the local population is not dependent on geographic location. This population is
very homogeneous.
Figure 3. Representation of variables and observations by AFD depending on the locality (F1-F2).
Hierarchical Cluster Analysis (HCA)
The goal of a classification is to constitute homogeneous groups. Figure 4 shows the dendrogram realized on the
different descriptors of the morphology. In fact, three separate groups of animals were identified. The first group contains
60 animals of different sex and age and belonging to different localities (Sejnene, Amdoun, Nefza, Gafaya). It is the same
for the second group, except that this one includes more animals of the order of 128. The third class consists of 32 animal
belonging only three locations namely; Sejnene, Amdoun, Nefza. The morphological characteristics that differentiate these
classes are shown in figure 5. In fact the first group is distinguished by the backline profile descriptor. Individuals in this
group have a sloping back up towards the rump or sloping down from withers. However, the second class is characterized
by the orientation of the horns. In fact, all the individuals in this group have horns forwardly directed. The third class is
similar to the first two except that individuals belonging to this class do not have the characteristics associated with the
profile of the backline or in the orientation of the horns.
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App. Sci. Report. 10 (1), 2015: 38-44
Figure 4. Hierarchical classification of the animal groups in the native cattle population.
A1 : Body hair coat color pattern ;A2 : Body hair coat color ;A3 : Body skin color ; A4 : Hair type ; A5 : Muzzle
color ;A6 : Eyelid color ;A7 : Hoof color ;B1 : Horn presence ;B2 : Horn attachment ;B3 : Horn shape ;B4 : Horn
orientation ;B5 : Horn color ;C1 : Ear shape ;C2 : Ear orientation ;D1 : Hump presence ;D2 : Backline profile ;E :
Dewlap size ;F : Rump profile ;G : Navel flap ;H1 : Tail attachment;H2 : Tail length ;J : Facial profile
Figure 5. The morphological characters of each group of indigenous cattle CAH
Conclusion
The local cattle population is a very original source as it is in perfect harmony with the Tunisian environment.
The descriptive analysis of phenotypic variables showed the existence of predominant characters in the population, such as
the color of the horns, the facial profile and body skin color. This population is made of two races la Blonde du Cap Bon
and la Brune de l’Atlas that divides into two branches tawny and gray. It should be noted, that similar characters to those
of the zebu, such as the presence of the bump and the large navel size, still exists in Tunisia. The analysis of variance
43
App. Sci. Report. 10 (1), 2015: 38-44
revealed 8 significant variables with imada effect and 7 with the gender effect. Multiple Factor analysis (MFA) was
performed by grouping variables into two groups (color and general conformation). This analysis generated two distinct
groups of animals that differ only in the traits related to the horns. Gender and geographical location have not contributed
in this distribution. The discriminant analysis using the locality as discriminatory factor did not allow to group individuals
according to the locality because they form a single group. The hierarchical cluster analysis has revealed three classes. The
only variables that were the cause of this dissimilarity are the profile of the back and orientation of the horns. It is
concluded that the local cattle population is very heterogeneous phenotypically. This variability is neither gender nor the
geographic location implying that the phenotypic diversity within the local cattle population is an individual variability.
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