Title : Supporting social justice through equity-based actions for a sustainable future in animal genetics (at the 39th International Society for Animal Genetics Conference)Running title : Equity in Action by ISAGAuthors : S. Paez1*, Ntanganedzeni Olivia Mapholi2, Lucky Tendani Nesengani2, Susan J. Lamont3, Sammy E. Aggrey5, Olivier Hanotte6,7, Cynthia D. K. Bottema8, Clare A. Gill2,91Neurobiology of Language, The Rockefeller University, New York, 10065, USA2College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, University of South Africa Science Campus, Florida, Johannesburg, South Africa3Department of Animal Science, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa 50011, USA5Department of Poultry Science, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia 30602, USA6International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), Gurd Shola, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia7The University of Nottingham, School of Life Sciences, Nottingham, NG 7 2 RD, United Kingdom8School of Animal & Veterinary Sciences, University of Adelaide, Roseworthy SA 5371, Australia9Department of Animal Science, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843, USA*Corresponding author:Phone: + 1 407-312-4849Email: spaez@rockefeller.eduAbstract :The 39th International Society for Animal Genetics conference (ISAG) was held for the first time in Africa under the theme “Animal genetics for a sustainable future ” in 2023. The conference convened scientists, policy makers, industry professionals, and students from interdisciplinary fields to share and discuss the latest developments in the space of animal genetics. Since its inception as a society, ISAG has sought to provide a platform advocating for a just and equitable future in animal genetics. At the 39th conference, this commitment towards furthering inclusion in animal genetic science was progressed with two new offerings to attendees. The first session guided discussions on the political, ethical, legal, socioeconomic, and cultural dynamics that present barriers for participating in and benefitting from the genomic and genetic science fraternity. This session also included principles of social justice, specifically equity, diversity, and inclusion, towards enacting fairness in an unfair world, and focused on constraints related to sustainability in animal genetics. The second session used the important tradition of storytelling to transfer knowledge and wisdom from experienced scientists to upcoming researchers. Experienced scientists shared lived experiences on educational and career paths, challenges, and opportunities, providing networking and opportunities for further mentoring. Here, we report on these equity-based actions and their relevance to address the urgent continent-specific and global disparities in animal genetics to move towards a sustainable future.Keywords : inclusion, diversity, equity, agriculture, animal genetics, storytelling, networking, mentoring

Identifying genomic regions under selection is crucial for comprehending the evolutionary history of the domestic chicken. The Arabian Peninsula (AP) indigenous chickens are mostly found outdoors, being reared alongside other livestock for production purposes. These birds show high resilience to extreme temperatures (hot and cold), typical of the desert environment. The selection pressures responsible for unique local adaptations in these birds remain largely unidentified. Here, we aimed to investigate the genome diversity and structure of fifteen indigenous chicken populations including thirteen populations from the AP (n = 5), Ethiopia (n = 6), and the Republic Popular of China (n = 2). We also included two commercial chicken populations, Fayoumi (selected for heat tolerance) and Chantecler (known for its cold tolerance). The PCA separated all the populations based on their geographic areas of origin. PC1 separates the Ethiopian populations from the Chinese and AP populations. PC2 separates the AP populations from the Chantecler, and the Ethiopian populations from the Dulong (China) and Chantecler. The genome-wide signatures of analyses identified many candidate regions under positive selection. They include genes which may be associated with thermotolerance. These are involved in energy balance and metabolism ( SUGCT, HECW1, MMADHC), cells apoptosis ( APP, SRBD1, NTN1,  PUF60, SLC26A8, DAP, SUGCT), angiogenesis ( RYR2, LDB2, SOX5), skin protection to solar radiation ( FZD10, BCO2,  WNT5B, COL6A2 and  SIRT1) as well as growth ( NELL1). Our findings suggest that Arabian chicken populations have a distinct gene pool polymorphism in relation to their adaptation to the harsh climatic environments of the Arabian Peninsula.