Manila: The Philippine carabao, the country's national animal, though not endemic, is likely to have descended from swamp buffaloes in China, a study has shown.
An article published in the Biolife News Service said studies conducted by a team of geneticists from the Philippine Carabao Centre (PCC) had traced the carabao's genetic lineage to buffaloes in the Chinese mainland.
The researchers, led by Leslie Anne del Barrio took a scientific approach to settle the question on whether the carabao is endemic to the Philippines or not.
Del Barrio's team used the D-loop mitochondrial deoxyribonucleic acid (mtDNA) approach in measuring the genetic link between samples taken from carabaos in the Philippines and in China.
They discovered strong links between the carabao and its relatives in China.
"…The [mtDNA] sequences showed 99 per cent to 100 per cent compatibility with China breeds, confirming that local carabaos had descended from the maternal lines in China," the article said.
Hardy and highly adapted for the country's tropical climate, the carabao has long been regarded as the country's national animal.
Dairy products
The bovine figures prominently in the country's rural landscape. It is a source of milk and other dairy products. It is also a strong work animal used for preparing the rice fields for planting.
