The effects of recent changes in breeding preferences on maintaining traditional Dutch chicken genomic diversity.

ABSTRACT: Traditional Dutch chicken breeds are marginalised breeds of ornamental and cultural-historical importance. In the last decades, miniaturising of existing breeds (so called neo-bantam) has become popular and resulted in alternatives to original large breeds. However, while backcrossing is increasing the neo-bantams homozygosity, genetic exchange between breeders may increase their genetic diversity. We use the 60 K SNP array to characterise the genetic diversity, demographic history, and level of inbreeding of Dutch heritage breeds, and particularly of neo-bantams. Commercial white layers are used to contrast the impact of management strategy on genetic diversity and demography. A high proportion of alleles was found to be shared between large fowls and neo-bantams, suggesting gene flow dur

SUBMITTER: Bortoluzzi C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6221889 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature