Abstract
Simple SummaryThe development of new production lines of turkeys has relegated native breeds to a second position. This has increased the need for new research to ensure the conservation of local turkey breeds and the maintenance of biodiversity. The objective of the present study was to identify turkey populations, their origins, and maternal lines through mitochondrial DNA analysis. For this study, mitochondrial DNA samples from 93 turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo) were used. The animals belonged to populations in Brazil, Mexico, Spain (Andalusia and Majorca) Italy, Iran, Egypt, and the United States. The haplogroup network that formed suggested that turkey domestic populations group into a single haplotype. However, genetic differences within the haplogroup were found. The present study may provide a better approach for the implementation of conservation strategies for domestic turkey populations.According to recent archeological evidence, turkey (Meleagris gallopavo gallopavo) domestication may have occurred in Mexico around 2000 years ago. However, little is known about the phylogenetic and genealogical background underlying domestic turkey populations. This study aimed to further understand the domestication process and identify inter- or intraspecific connections between turkey populations to determine their origins, trace their global expansion, and define the species’ genetic value. Ninety-three domestic turkeys (local breeds) were sampled from populations in Brazil, Mexico, USA, Spain, Italy, Iran, and Egypt. Publicly available sequences from previous studies were also included. Standard mitochondrial DNA, genetic diversity, and haplotype network analyses were performed. Seventy-six polymorphic sites were identified. Turkeys from Mexico showed the greatest number of polymorphic sites (40), while turkeys from Italy and Brazil reported only one site each. Nucleotide diversity was also highest in Mexico and the USA (π = 0.0175 and 0.0102, respectively) and lowest in Brazil and Italy. Of the six major haplogroups defined, the Mexican and USA populations appeared to have remained more stable and diverse than the other populations. This may be due to conservative husbandry policies in the rural areas of other populations, which have prevented the introduction of commercial turkey lines.
Highlights
Despite the global economic importance of turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo), scientific efforts to understand the genetic diversity of the species have been infrequent
Eleven samples were collected from rural communities northeast of Paraiba, Brazil; ten samples were from rural communities in Veracruz City, Mexico; ten samples were from Giza Governorate, Egypt; thirty samples were from rural environments in Spain, including eighteen from Andalusia (Sevilla, Cadiz, and Córdoba) and twelve from the Balearic Archipelago (Mallorca); six samples were from a turkey breeding station established in 1983, with birds from northern and northwestern Iran; twenty-two samples belonging to two different breeds were from Italy, with ten samples from the Parma breed and twelve from the Romagnolo breed; and six samples were from Iowa, USA
One polymorphic site was reported for the Romagnolo and Brazilian populations, which showed moderate Hd values and low π values
Summary
Despite the global economic importance of turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo), scientific efforts to understand the genetic diversity of the species have been infrequent. Historical registries have suggested that different prehispanic Mexican groups, like the Teotihuacans, began the domestication of the turkey for the first time between 200 and 700 BC [4] Considering this context and that the fact that, according to the hypothesis suggested by Flannery [6], Leopold [7], and Schorger [8], an exact time for domestication cannot be clearly identified, the highlands of Michoacan, Mexico have been proposed as the most likely original focus for the species. This is supported by the most likely archaeological hypotheses, based on findings within the Tehuacan Valley (Puebla). Bones dating from approximately 700 AD have been identified in Guatemala, which suggests the southern expansion of the species by that time [9]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
