Diversity measuresDiversity indices for the samples examined in this study are given in Table 1. Within the South Asian breeds, neither gene diversity nor MNA showed a discernible geographical pattern. Gene diversity varied from 0.61 (Sahiwal) to 0.72 (Desi). In the five samples of comparable size, MNA values are lower in the two breeds of southern provenance, Ongole and Nellore than in Desi, Tharparkar, and Red Sindhi. These measures may reflect differences in historical population size but may also be a result of higher levels of taurine admixture in the more northern samples (see below).