Morphometric Differentiation of Indigenous Goat Populations in Southern Ethiopia: Implications for Breeding and Conservation Strategies

Indigenous goat genetic diversity is vital for sustainable livestock development, particularly in Ethiopia, where goats play a crucial role in rural livelihoods. This study aimed to characterize the phenotypic diversity of indigenous goat populations across four districts of Southern Ethiopia: Arba Minch Zuria (AMZ), Garda Marta (GAM), Kucha Zuria (KUZ), and Geressie Zuria (GEZ). A total of 813 adult goats (≥ 2 pairs of permanent incisors) were purposefully sampled from twelve kebeles representing lowland, midland, and highland agro-ecologies. Eighteen morphometric traits and twenty derived structural indices were recorded following standardized guidelines. Data were analyzed using the General Linear Model (GLM) and multivariate techniques, including Principal Component Analysis (PCA), Canonical Discriminant Analysis (CDA), and cluster analysis. Significant (p < 0.001) differences were observed across districts for body weight (BW), chest girth (CG), and horn length (HL), with GAM goats showing the highest and GEZ the lowest mean values. Most traits exhibited sexual dimorphism, except ear length (EL) and tail length (TL). PCA revealed that the first component (PC1, 46–47%) represented size-related traits (BW, body length, CG), while the second (PC2, 17–18%) reflected shape-related traits (TL, teat length). Stepwise discriminant analysis identified TL, EL, and head length as the most powerful discriminating traits, achieving high classification accuracy (98.9–100%). Mahalanobis distances confirmed significant phenotypic divergence among populations, which was further supported by cluster analysis aligned with ecological and geographic patterns. These findings offer essential baseline information to support genetic improvement, conservation strategies, and sustainable use of indigenous goats in Southern Ethiopia.