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> Purity for its  own sake is not the basis for a breeding program.
> Superior genetics is.  Depending upon the breed, the breeder, and the
> objectives of the program  different people will make different
> selections from what they consider to  be the relavent gene pool.
Purity IS a viable goal in at least some breeding programs.  In order to
retain source genetics for programs that outcross, somebody has to keep
the "pure" lines going.

Again, as you said earlier, the definition of "pure" can vary.  But the
genetic reality is that there IS merit in keeping some lines to
themselves, instead of mixing everything up into one big homogenous pool
and calling it "superior genetics."  Superior for what?

One can argue that there are cases where "purity" has surpassed all
reason, as people have bred horses that have lost all resemblance to their
functional original ancestors.  But that has also been done with
cross-breeding on all levels, as well--look at horses of nearly any breed
(even breeds that are combinations of other breeds) that have been bred
for solely one reason--the future generations suffer.

Meanwhile, the premise that there is genetic value in preservation
breeding is a scientifically viable one.

Heidi



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