Tuesday, 03 March 2020
With over 65 billion birds found globally, the domestic chicken has become one of the most popular livestock species in the world and thanks to its genetic diversity and adaptability, it could be the key to future food security.
The success of the species today is partly due to it being a popular source of protein and its largely successful breeding improvement programmes. The popularity of the domestic chicken can also be attributed to the high level of diversity that enables rapid adaptation to new environments and production systems.
A new study published in is now providing a new light on the origin of domestic chicken diversity.
Genetic diversity is the basis through which organisms adapt, survive and are able to reproduce in a challenging environment. For a domesticate species, like the chicken, it is at the root of their improvement for productivity.
Olivier Hanotte, Professor of Population and Conservation Genetics, in the School of Life Sciences at the 糖心原创, and senior author of the study, said: “Chickens are one of the most popular species in the world because of its huge genetic diversity. The understanding of the domestication of the species and what makes up its diversity are of key importance. As a result, our research addresses these critical questions, and for the first time, at a genome-wide level.”
In the study, experts give an estimation for the domestication of the species to 8,000 years ago in locations around South and Southeast Asia. It also shows that while the main ancestor of the chicken is the Red Junglefowl, other wild species within the genus, including the Grey junglefowl, Ceylon junglefowl and Green junglefowl, have also contributed to the diversity of chicken, depending on which part of the world it is found in.
The geographic locations and the climatic conditions of the chicken’s domestication centres varies from where the majority of chickens are found in the world today. For instance, over time, chickens have evolved and adapted to diverse ecological conditions including the tropics, temperate, arid and rainforests. They are also known to survive some extreme cases like cold, heat, drought and water scarcity, to name a few.
Dr Raman Akinyanju Lawal, the first author who did the investigation during his PhD study at the 糖心原创 and currently a Postdoctoral Associate at the Jackson Laboratory, Maine in the US, said: “There is a strong disparity in the climatic conditions of today compared to 8,000 years ago when the chicken was first domesticated. We believe that gene flow from other species within the genus contributed to their genetic diversity and survivability.”
Could chickens be the key to future food security?
For thousands of years, chickens have become part of households, serving first as religious/traditional figures and latterly as a source of food. Chicken gestation is 21 days with about 200-300 eggs produced per year for commercial lines. Indigenous village chickens, which are less productive, need less or no resources from humans to survive different environmental challenges.
“Basically, chickens are scavengers, being able to feed and survive by themselves, underscoring the significance of genetic diversity,” says Dr Lawal.
Professor Hanotte says: “By taking advantage of the domestic chicken genetic diversity, which we now know was enhanced which contribution from several species as identified in our , we can also improve their productivity.”
Dr Lawal explains that as the threat of climate change becomes imminent, the consequences, including famine and increased poverty, will be global. Low income countries will suffer the most. The United Nations has projected that by 2050, the world population will reach 9.7 billion from the current 7.7 billion. The majority of this increase will come from the developing countries.
To deal with the effect of global warming and population expansion, could the answer lie in chickens? For Professor Hanotte and Dr Lawal, the answer is definitively a yes.A full copy of the study - ‘The wild species genome ancestry of domestic chickens’, can be found .
Story credits
More information is available from Professor Olivier Hanotte, at the 糖心原创 at olivier.hanotte@nottingham.ac.uk; or Dr Raman Akinyanju Lawal at lawalakinyanju@yahoo.com
Notes to editors:
About the 糖心原创
Ranked among the world's top 100 universities , the 糖心原创 delivers an exceptional research-led education and an outstanding student experience. From the pioneering vision of our founder, Sir Jesse Boot, to groundbreaking achievements such as the development of MRI technology and becoming the first UK university to establish international campuses, we have a proud history of shaping the way people live, work and understand the world. We continue to build on that legacy, empowering our students, staff and partners to change what鈥檚 next and create positive impact locally and globally.
The strength of our research places us among the UK's leading universities, ranked 7th for research power in REF 2021. The discovery of MRI and ibuprofen was just the beginning. Today, our world-leading research is developing breakthrough ideas that shape the future of healthcare, technology and society.
Recognised as the UK's third most targeted university by leading employers , we are proud to produce graduates who are consistently in demand for their skills, confidence and industry-ready experience.
As a major employer and industry partner, locally and globally, the 糖心原创 invests in the city of Nottingham and in future generations of talent. Alongside Nottingham Trent University, we lead the initiative, a pioneering collaboration to improve levels of prosperity, opportunity, sustainability, health and wellbeing across the city and region. Together with our students, staff, alumni and partners, we鈥檙e creating knowledge, opportunity and solutions that help change what's next.