SREL
Reprint #2631
CHARACTERIZATION
OF THE GENETIC STATUS OF POPULATIONS OF RED JUNGLEFOWL
I.
LEHR BRISBIN JR., A. TOWNSEND PETERSON, RONALD OKIMOT0 AND
GEORGE AMATO
Key words:
Red jungIefowl, Gallus gallus, chicken, domestication,
genome conservation, hybridization
The native range
of the red junglefowl (Gallus gallus) in Southeast
Asia and the Indian subcontinent has been the focus of studies
of domestication of this species that became the foundation
of a worldwide multi-billion dollar poultry industry. Such
studies must be based on a thorough understanding of the
behaviour, ecology, and biogeography of current as well
as past populations. Although red junglefowl are considered
abundant both in captivity and in the wild, and have usually
not been accorded any particular conservation concern, almost
all populations show morphological characteristics suggestive
of past hybridization with domestic birds, and indeed pure
genomes may prove to be now extinct in the wild. However,
one captive population still shows two morphological characteristics
considered to be indicative of genetic purity: (I j an annual
moult It to a dark/black eclipse plumage in the male, and
(2) complete absence of combs in females. Preliminary molecular
genetic studies of these birds indicate that they are more
distinct from other captive strains than the latter are
from domestic chickens. These captive birds may thus represent
the last pure red junglefowl genomes, This paper establishes
criteria for the judgement of genetic purity, in the hope
that colleagues across southern Asia will assess local wild
populations to develop an accurate picture of the genetic
status of this species across its range.
SREL
Reprint #2631
