Genetic diversity of red jungle fowl in China (Gallus gallus spadiceus) and red jungle fowl (Gallus gallus gallus) in Thailand

Abstract

Genetic diversity of red jungle fowl in China (Gallus gallus spadiceus) and red jungle fowl in Thailand (Gallus gallus gallus) was evaluated with 29 microstaellite loci, the genetic variability within subspecies and genetic differentiation between subspecies were estimated. The results showed that the 168 alleles were amplified with the number of alleles per locus from 2 to 13. The average expected heterozygosity and polymorphism information content (PIC) of all loci were 0.5780 and 0.53, respectively. The mean numbers of effective alleles of red jungle fowl in China and red jungle fowl in Thailand were 5.55 and 6.38. The heterozygosity and the genetic diversity of the two subspecies were high. Genetic differentiation index (FST) of these populations was 0.194 (P<0.01). Reynolds' genetic distance and gene flow between the two populations were 0.157 and 1.040, respectively. Based on these results, genetic structure and significant genetic differentiation of red jungle fowl in China were different from red jungle fowl in Thailand. The results of this study did not support to identify these red jungle fowl subspecies as the same subspecies, but supported the theory that Chinese domestic fowls have independent origin.