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The genetic variability for a sample of 107 animals from three autochthonous Croatian horse breeds was estimated using 20 microsatellites. The average number of alleles per locus (6.3) and proportion of heterozygosity (0.732) indicated a moderate variability. The expected heterozygosity was similar among all breeds and ranged between 0.724 in the Posavina horse, and 0.737 in the Croatian Coldblood and Murinsulaner horse. The inbreeding coefficient FIS was low and non-significant over the three populations. The genetic differentiation among the three populations was low (FST=0.026), suggesting that only 2.6% of the total genetic variability was due to differences between the breeds, and 97% to individual differences. The results of pairwise genetic differentiation suggest that the Posavina horse and the Croatian Coldblood were the most closely related populations (FST=0.016). These results are confirmed by Nei’s genetic distances with the highest value observed between the Posavina horse and the Murinsulaner (0.082) and the lowest between the Posavina horse and the Croatian Coldblood (0.044). An assignment test correctly assigned 82% of individuals to the correct breed. Strategies for preserving the original native genes in the Croatian native horse breeds should be considered in order to prevent these breeds from becoming extinct and include them in the future breeding programmes.

The aim of this work was to determine the MC1R genotype of Black Slavonian pigs and to find an efficient and simple PCR-RFLP method, based on differences in MC1R genotype, to distinguish between purebred Black Slavonian pigs and their crossings with commercial pig breeds and Wild Boars. Sequencing of the MC1R exon was performed to determine the genotype of MC1R in Black Slavonian pig breed, which was shown to be MC1R*2. Digestion reactions of both PCR products representing the majority of MC1R exon revealed presence of the BspHI restriction site at position 121 and absence of the AccII and CrfI restriction site at position 240, which is characteristic for the MC1R*2 genotype. A simple PCR-RFLP method, based on different coat colour MC1R gene genotypes was determined by which it is possible to detect potential crossings of autochthonous Black Slavonian pig with commercial pig breeds and also with Wild Boars.