Population genetic structure of Sri Lankan backyard chicken flocks: Implication for conservation and genetic improvement programs
Traditional ‘random’ sampling strategy for molecular characterization has revealed low genetic differentiation and weak genetic structure among Asian and African indigenous, non-descript chicken populations although they carried high within-population phenotypic and molecular genetic diversity. In...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Format: | Conference Paper |
| Language: | Inglés |
| Published: |
American Society of Animal Science
2014
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://hdl.handle.net/10568/78497 |
| Summary: | Traditional ‘random’ sampling strategy for molecular characterization has revealed low genetic differentiation and weak genetic structure among Asian and African indigenous, non-descript chicken populations although
they carried high within-population phenotypic and molecular genetic diversity. In the present study, 192 backyard
chickens collected following a nearly ‘complete’ sampling strategy for all adult birds within flocks of 75 households in
five villages at two sites in Sri Lanka were genotyped using 20 microsatellite markers. The phenotypes and history of
these birds were also recorded. A link of phenotypic composition and flock size with specific genetic structure of the
backyard chicken populations was explored. The results
suggest that the households who used to keep large flocks
of indigenous backyard chickens of mixed genotypes
should be included in in-situ conservation program to effectively
maintain and sustainably utilize these important
chicken genetic resources. |
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