DNA Tests Confirm Parentage, not Purebred Ancestry

by David Roffey

An issue concerning the use of DNA testing to determine if a Devon cow of unknown or questionable parentage can be proven to be a Purebred Devon has arisen. This problem has been experienced by several of our members. The buyers have been led to believe that the result of DNA testing will prove that “if there are no irregularities,” and if a field inspection of the animals shows them to appear “Devon-like,” then the purchased animals are indeed purebred Devon stock. Claims that DNA can accomplish this are false. If the animal is truly known to be a Purebred Devon, why perform DNA testing? This appears to be an attempt to legitimize the registration process, by the using DNA testing under false pretense. It does nothing to prove that the animal is a 100% Devon purebred.

DNA testing can confirm that an animal is indeed from a certain dam and a certain sire. This is all you can learn about the genetics of the animal in question. DNA testing cannot tell you what percent purebred an animal may be. That can only be verified by tracing lineage through the use of purebred records with breed associations.

DNA testing cannot determine if an animal is Purebred Devon or not! Although very useful in determining sire and dam authenticity, DNA testing of offspring cannot identify any ancestry beyond the immediate sire and dam, thus determining if the animal in question is indeed a purebred Devon. Certainly the visual field inspection cannot ascertain if the animal is of 100% of Purebred Devon parentage either.

The Veterinary Genetics Lab, University of Calif., Davis, Calif., the organization employed to do the DNA testing for Devons parentage states “Unfortunately, our DNA testing using microsatellite markers does not provide any information regarding the breed of cattle being tested. Breed specific regions of DNA have not been identified for cattle.”

Devon cattle are being sold currently as Purebreds to people unaware of the facts about the abilities of current “state of the art” DNA procedures. Our organization, the American Devon Cattle Association, wishes to state that the use of DNA samples to verify that a particular cow, bull or their offspring, for that matter, cannot determine the breed nor the percentage of the breed in question.

If the ancestors of the questionable animal without registration papers are still alive, and ancestors themselves have been registered previously and are available for DNA sampling, then DNA testing will determine if the questionable animal is indeed verifiable as a Purebred Devon. DNA sampling can determine parentage only if the animal’s ancestors are alive or semen is available from a previously untested registered Devon sire.

The American Devon Cattle Association encourages the identification and registry of Devons of unknown ancestry as demonstrated by our long-standing Percentage Registry process. The identification should however be based on sound principles and verifiable facts. A Devon without provable parentage can only be a Percentage Registry animal, not a Purebred Devon as is falsely being purported through the misuse of DNA testing.