For many years, breeders of companion animals have applied inbreeding or line breeding to transfer desirable genetic traits from parents to their offspring. Simultaneously, this resulted in a considerable spread of hereditary diseases and phenomena associated with inbreeding depression. Our cluster analysis of kinship and inbreeding coefficients suggests that the Thai or traditional Siamese cat could be considered as a subpopulation of the Siamese cat, which shares common ancestors, although they are considered as separate breeds. In addition, model-based cluster analysis could detect regional differences between Thai subpopulations. We show that by applying optimal contribution selection and simultaneously limiting the contributions by other breeds, the genetic diversity within subpopulations can be improved. In principle, the European mainland Thai cat population can achieve a genetic diversity of about 26 founder genome equivalents, a value that could potentially sustain a genetically diverse population. However, reaching such a target will be difficult in the absence of a supervised breeding program. Suboptimal solutions can be obtained by minimisation of kinships within regional subpopulations. Exchanging animals between different regions on a small scale might be already quite useful to reduce the kinship, by achieving a potential diversity of 23 founder genome equivalents. However, contributions by other breeds should be minimised to preserve the original Siamese gene pool.

中文翻译：

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支持维持健康的传统暹罗猫种群的统计分析

多年以来，伴侣动物的育种者已经进行了近交或品系育种，以将理想的遗传特征从父母传给其后代。同时，这导致遗传性疾病和与近亲衰退相关的现象大量传播。我们对亲缘关系和近亲繁殖系数的聚类分析表明，泰国或传统的暹罗猫可被视为暹罗猫的一个亚群，尽管它们被视为独立的品种，但它们具有共同的祖先。此外，基于模型的聚类分析可以检测泰国亚群之间的区域差异。我们表明，通过应用最佳的贡献选择并同时限制其他品种的贡献，可以改善亚群内的遗传多样性。原则上，欧洲的泰国泰国猫种群可以实现大约26个创始人基因组当量的遗传多样性，这一价值可能会维持遗传多样性的种群。但是，如果没有监督的育种计划，很难达到这样的目标。可以通过最小化区域亚人群中的亲属关系来获得次优解决方案。通过实现23个创始基因组等价物的潜在多样性，在不同区域之间进行小规模动物交换可能已经对减少亲缘关系非常有用。但是，应尽量减少其他品种的贡献，以保留原始的暹罗基因库。如果没有监督的育种计划，很难达到这样的目标。可以通过最小化区域亚人群中的亲属关系来获得次优解决方案。通过实现23个创始基因组等价物的潜在多样性，在不同区域之间进行小规模动物交换可能已经对减少亲缘关系非常有用。但是，应尽量减少其他品种的贡献，以保留原始的暹罗基因库。如果没有监督的育种计划，很难达到这样的目标。可以通过最小化区域亚人群中的亲属关系来获得次优解决方案。通过实现23个创始基因组等价物的潜在多样性，在不同区域之间进行小规模动物交换可能已经对减少亲缘关系非常有用。但是，应尽量减少其他品种的贡献，以保留原始的暹罗基因库。