CHARACTERIZATION AND GENETIC RELATIONSHIPS ANALYSIS OF BUFFALO POPULATION IN MOA ISLAND OF SOUTH-EAST WEST MALUKU REGENCY OF MALUKU PROVINCE

The research aim was to study the variance of some morphometric characteristics and morphologyof Moa buffalo, and the genetic relationships analysis between buffalo subpopulations in Moa Island.Characterization was by using 174 buffalos from any group of ages and sex that were collected fromWest area (Werwaru, Patti), Central area (Syota, Klis) and East area (Tounwawan, Poliwu). Thevariables observed were morphometric characters (body weight, shoulder height, body length, chestwidth, chest depth, chest girth, skull length, skull width, skull height, ear width, ear length, cannon girth,horn length, horn girth and distance between horns), body morphology characters (horn position, headcolor, body color and scheme of body color), and genetic distance between buffalo subpopulations.Body morphometric data were analyzed using mean, standard deviation and variance coefficient. Bodymorphology data were analyzed using relative frequencies. The genetic distance was analyzed usingcanonical discriminant function through Mahalanobis distance approach and by making phylogeny usingUPGMA method. The result indicated that variation of body morphometric was related to productionperformance, variation of color and color scheme of body. Based on genetic distance, central and westsubpopulations were the nearest where West subpopulation was isolated from Central and Eastsubpopulation