Hongbo Liang¹ , Qibin Xu²

1 Institute of Life Science, Jiyang College of Zhejiang A&F University, Zhuji, 311800, Zhejiang, China
2 Animal Science Research Center, Cuixi Academy of Biotechnology, Zhuji, 311800, Zhejiang, China
Author    Correspondence author
Biological Evidence, 2025, Vol. 15, No. 6   
Received: 13 Oct., 2025    Accepted: 20 Nov., 2025    Published: 10 Dec., 2025

This is an open access article published under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Buffalo are important livestock animals, and their genetic diversity plays a key role in species evolution, farm production, and future breeding. Wild buffalo (Bubalus arnee) and domestic buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) show clear lineage differences and have a complex evolutionary history. Domestic buffalo are mainly divided into two groups: river type and swamp type. In this study, we used mitochondrial DNA, microsatellite markers, SNP data, and whole-genome sequencing to compare the genetic diversity of wild and domestic buffalo. Because of habitat loss and small population size, wild buffalo now show lower genetic diversity and stronger inbreeding. Domestic buffalo have been shaped by long-term human selection, so their population structure is different. River-type buffalo have been strongly selected for milk traits, while swamp-type buffalo still keep high geographic separation and more uniform physical features. Genomic analysis also shows clear signals of domestication and artificial selection, including several selection sweep regions. We also found gene flow at different levels between river and swamp types, and between domestic buffalo and wild buffalo. This study points out that protecting the wild buffalo gene pool is very important. It also suggests that breeding programs for domestic buffalo should maintain genetic diversity, make good use of genomic selection, and improve hybrid strategies. These results can support future buffalo breeding, resource management, and biodiversity conservation.

Water buffalo; Genetic diversity; Domestication and artificial selection; Genomic differentiation; Population conservation and breeding strategies