Evolutionary Subdivision of Domestic Chickens: Implications for Local Breeds as Assessed by Phenotype and Genotype in Comparison to Commercial and Fancy Breeds

Tatyana A. Larkina, Olga Y. Barkova, Grigoriy K. Peglivanyan, Olga V. Mitrofanova, Natalia V. Dementieva, Olga I. Stanishevskaya, Anatoly B. Vakhrameev, Alexandra V. Makarova, Yuri S. Shcherbakov, Marina V. Pozovnikova, Evgeni A. Brazhnik, Darren K. Griffin and Michael N. Romanov
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Tatyana A. Larkina: Russian Research Institute of Farm Animal Genetics and Breeding—Branch of the L. K. Ernst Federal Science Center for Animal Husbandry, Pushkin, 196625 St. Petersburg, Russia
Olga Y. Barkova: Russian Research Institute of Farm Animal Genetics and Breeding—Branch of the L. K. Ernst Federal Science Center for Animal Husbandry, Pushkin, 196625 St. Petersburg, Russia
Grigoriy K. Peglivanyan: Russian Research Institute of Farm Animal Genetics and Breeding—Branch of the L. K. Ernst Federal Science Center for Animal Husbandry, Pushkin, 196625 St. Petersburg, Russia
Olga V. Mitrofanova: Russian Research Institute of Farm Animal Genetics and Breeding—Branch of the L. K. Ernst Federal Science Center for Animal Husbandry, Pushkin, 196625 St. Petersburg, Russia
Natalia V. Dementieva: Russian Research Institute of Farm Animal Genetics and Breeding—Branch of the L. K. Ernst Federal Science Center for Animal Husbandry, Pushkin, 196625 St. Petersburg, Russia
Olga I. Stanishevskaya: Russian Research Institute of Farm Animal Genetics and Breeding—Branch of the L. K. Ernst Federal Science Center for Animal Husbandry, Pushkin, 196625 St. Petersburg, Russia
Anatoly B. Vakhrameev: Russian Research Institute of Farm Animal Genetics and Breeding—Branch of the L. K. Ernst Federal Science Center for Animal Husbandry, Pushkin, 196625 St. Petersburg, Russia
Alexandra V. Makarova: Russian Research Institute of Farm Animal Genetics and Breeding—Branch of the L. K. Ernst Federal Science Center for Animal Husbandry, Pushkin, 196625 St. Petersburg, Russia
Yuri S. Shcherbakov: Russian Research Institute of Farm Animal Genetics and Breeding—Branch of the L. K. Ernst Federal Science Center for Animal Husbandry, Pushkin, 196625 St. Petersburg, Russia
Marina V. Pozovnikova: Russian Research Institute of Farm Animal Genetics and Breeding—Branch of the L. K. Ernst Federal Science Center for Animal Husbandry, Pushkin, 196625 St. Petersburg, Russia
Evgeni A. Brazhnik: BIOTROF+ Ltd., Pushkin, 196602 St. Petersburg, Russia
Darren K. Griffin: School of Biosciences, University of Kent, Canterbury CT2 7NJ, UK
Michael N. Romanov: School of Biosciences, University of Kent, Canterbury CT2 7NJ, UK

Agriculture, 2021, vol. 11, issue 10, 1-23

Abstract: To adjust breeding programs for local, commercial, and fancy breeds, and to implement molecular (marker-assisted) breeding, a proper comprehension of phenotypic and genotypic variation is a sine qua non for breeding progress in animal production. Here, we investigated an evolutionary subdivision of domestic chickens based on their phenotypic and genotypic variability using a wide sample of 49 different breeds/populations. These represent a significant proportion of the global chicken gene pool and all major purposes of breed use (according to their traditional classification model), with many of them being characterized by a synthetic genetic structure and notable admixture. We assessed their phenotypic variability in terms of body weight, body measurements, and egg production. From this, we proposed a phenotypic clustering model (PCM) including six evolutionary lineages of breed formation: egg-type, meat-type, dual purpose (egg-meat and meat-egg), game, fancy, and Bantam. Estimation of genotypic variability was carried out using the analysis of five SNPs, i.e., at the level of genomic variation at the NCAPG-LCORL locus. Based on these data, two generally similar genotypic clustering models (GCM1 and GCM2) were inferred that also had several overlaps with PCM. Further research for SNPs associated with economically important traits can be instrumental in marker-assisted breeding programs.

Keywords: chicken breeds; evolutionary lineages; phenotypic traits; NCAPG-LCORL; synthetic genetic structure; admixture (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q1 Q10 Q11 Q12 Q13 Q14 Q15 Q16 Q17 Q18 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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