Loading...
Genetic endangerment of wild Red Junglefowl *Gallus gallus*?
Peterson, A. Townsend Brisbin, I. Lehr, Jr
Peterson, A. Townsend
Brisbin, I. Lehr, Jr
Citations
Altmetric:
Abstract
Domestic chickens were derived from the wild Red Junglefowl Gallus gallus. A
survey of 745 museum specimens of Red Junglefowl suggests that most wild
populations have been contaminated genetically by introgression of genes from
domestic or feral chickens. A male eclipse plumage, which appears to be an
indicator of pure wild genotypes, was found in populations in the western and
central portions of the species's range, but not in the easternmost populations.
Eclipse plumages probably disappeared from extreme south-eastern Asia and
the Philippines prior to the advent of intensive scientific collecting (about i860)
and have not been observed in Malaysia and neighbouring countries since the
1920s. Populations exhibiting eclipse plumages were found in north-eastern India
as late as the 1960s, but the dense human populations there make their continuing
genetic integrity uncertain. These data suggest that surveys of wild and captive
populations should be undertaken to assess the genetic integrity of this species.
A re-evaluation of the conservation status of Red Junglefowl might then
follow.
Description
Date
1998
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Cambridge University Press
Research Projects
Organizational Units
Journal Issue
Keywords
Citation
Peterson, A. T., and I. L. Brisbin, Jr. 1998. Genetic endangerment of wild Red Junglefowl Gallus gallus? Bird Conservation International 8:387-394. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/S0959270900002148