New research shows Cheviot goats are one of the UK's most genetically distinct goat populations.
Led by Newcastle University, this is the first genetic study to determine the ancestry and genetic health of a UK feral goat population. It provides a genetic assessment of the Cheviot goats in Northumberland's College Valley, identifying them as a historically significant and genetically distinct population unlike of the other European goat breeds.
The Cheviot goat population centres on a group in the Cheviot Hills in Northumberland. They are believed to be descended from the original goats introduced by the first farmers of the Neolithic period.
Published in the Journal of Heredity , the results show that the Cheviot goats are a genetically distinct breed, compared to other European goat breeds. A comparison with a global dataset of goat breeds, reveals that the Cheviot goats are most closely related to Irish goat breeds.
The genetic analysis shows that, contrary to expectations, the Cheviot population is an isolated remnant of the British Primitive Goat breed, which has not crossbred with other goats at all. The scientists also found that the population has low genetic diversity and is highly inbred, because of its small population size due to past culling practices.
The findings highlight the potential importance of native and feral livestock breeds as animal genetic resources for future agriculture, particularly in improving disease resistance, strengthening genetic diversity and supporting adaptation to climate change.
Study lead author, Dale Decena, a Master's student at Newcastle University's School of Natural and Environmental Sciences, said: "Feral goats across the UK including the Cheviot goats are an often overlooked and unique aspect of UK biodiversity. They continue to represent an important link to the historical and cultural heritage of many local communities – yet we know little about them. Locally adapted breeds in small, isolated populations like the Cheviot goats are particularly prone to genomic erosion (the loss of genetic diversity) and so future work should consider incorporating genetic information to enable effective decision-making in future breed conservation strategies."
Dr Richard Bevan, another of the study authors, added: "The origins of the Cheviot goats have been debated for many years, and it is so good to finally set the record straight. We now need to investigate the genetic makeup of other feral goat populations in the UK, and perhaps discover new mysteries."
The authors indicate that the Cheviot goats' resilience offers valuable and rare opportunity to investigate genetic signatures of natural selection. They call for further studies of other feral goat populations across the UK to guide conservation and long-term population management strategies.
Reference
Lorenz Dale Decena, Richard M Bevan, Jodie Brown, Vlatka Cubric-Curik, Aileen C Mill, Evelyn L Jensen, Old goats, new insights: Origins and genetic diversity of feral Cheviot goats, Journal of Heredity, 2026;, esag044, https://doi.org/10.1093/jhered/esag044
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