Demographic expansion and high level of matrilineal diversity in two populations of East African Baggara cattle

Western Baggara cattle breed (WBCB) is an East African zebu inhabiting Sudan, well‐known as beef‐producing cattle. We investigated herein two phenotypically and geographically distinct populations of this breed, namely Nyalawi and Daeinawi, which are renowned for their unique meat production capabilities and adaptation attributes, with the aim to contribute to our understanding of their maternal genetic diversity and demography dynamics. Genetic polymorphism analysis of the full‐length D‐loop mtDNA region revealed 44 and 35 polymorphic sites defining 28 and 24 distinct haplotypes in the Nyalawi and the Daeinawi, respectively. Observed genetic diversity is high within the population with a low level of genetic differentiation between populations. Approximate Bayesian computation via the calculation of Bayesian skyline plots and neutrality tests support past expansion with a higher maternal effective population size (Ne) in Nyalawi compared with the Daeinawi population and a population expansion beginning around 4,500 YBP and 3,500 YBP, respectively, before the arrival of zebu into the continent.