The study shows that an ancient spice route may have shaped the genetic heritage of Kerala’s Malabar goat

Malabar Goat | Photo credit: Special arrangement

Kerala’s ancient maritime connections may go beyond spices, traders and ports. A new study suggests that these trade networks may have also shaped the maternal genetic history of the Malabar goat, one of the state’s iconic native breeds.

Researchers from the Kerala Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (KVASU) have announced the first complete mitochondrial genome of the Malabar goat. The findings, published in the peer-reviewed journal Mammalian Genome, provide molecular evidence supporting the possibility that goats moved along the historic Indian Ocean spice route that connected the Malabar coast with western India and the Arabian Peninsula.

Native to South Malabar, the Malabar goat is prized for its milk and meat and for its ability to thrive in the hot and humid conditions of Kerala. Historical accounts suggest that the breed evolved with contributions from Arabian, Mesopotamian, Surti and local wild goats.

The researchers analyzed whole-genome sequencing data from 20 unrelated female Malabar goats from Kannur, Kozhikode, Wayanad, Palakkad, Thrissur and Malappuram. They identified 45 single-nucleotide polymorphisms and two insertion-deletion variations in the mitochondrial genome, which included 37 genes and a hypervariable D-loop region.

Mitochondrial sequence identity

The Malabar goat showed the highest mitochondrial sequence identity, 99.7%, with the Meriz goats of Iraq. It also showed close maternal genetic relationships with goats from Oman, Arabia and Gujarat.

“Malabar goats belong to a rare maternal genetic group found in only about 3% of domestic goats worldwide. They are also found in Omani and Surti goats, a lineage that traces back to the wild Bezoar goats of present-day Iran and Iraq. The common ancestry between goats from Kerala, Gujarat, Oman and Iraq suggests that MR probably played a role in their ancient Indian Ocean movement, mari Iraq, co-author and researcher.

The goats were placed in mitochondrial haplogroup B1, a rather unusual lineage among domestic goats. Haplogroup B also includes Surti goats from Gujarat and Omani goats, the researchers said.

Marykutty Thomas, co-author and assistant professor at the Center for Advanced Studies in Animal Genetics and Breeding, KVASU, said the findings suggest a common maternal origin between goat populations in Kerala, Gujarat, Oman and Iraq.

The study also identified a new mutation in the MT-TL2 gene, which the researchers described as the first mitochondrial tRNA mutation reported in goats.

Published – 11 Sep 2026 15:26 IST