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Species and phenotypic distribution models reveal population differentiation in Ethiopian indigenous chickens

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Title Species and phenotypic distribution models reveal population differentiation in Ethiopian indigenous chickens
 
Creator Getachew, Fasil
Komen, Hans
Dessie, Tadelle
Worku, Setegn
Hanotte, Olivier H.
Bastiaansen, John W.M.
 
Subject animal breeding
chickens
indigenous breeds
genetics
 
Description Smallholder poultry production dominated by indigenous chickens is an important source of livelihoods for most rural households in Ethiopia. The long history of domestication and the presence of diverse agroecologies in Ethiopia create unique opportunities to study the effect of environmental selective pressures. Species distribution models (SDMs) and Phenotypic distribution models (PDMs) can be applied to investigate the relationship between environmental variation and phenotypic differentiation in wild animals and domestic populations. In the present study we used SDMs and PDMs to detect environmental variables related with habitat suitability and phenotypic differentiation among nondescript Ethiopian indigenous chicken populations. 34 environmental variables (climatic, soil, and vegetation) and 19 quantitative traits were analyzed for 513 adult chickens from 26 populations. To have high variation in the dataset for phenotypic and ecological parameters, animals were sampled from four spatial gradients (each represented by six to seven populations), located in different climatic zones and geographies. Three different ecotypes are proposed based on correlation test between habitat suitability maps and phenotypic clustering of sample populations. These specific ecotypes show phenotypic differentiation, likely in response to environmental selective pressures. Nine environmental variables with the highest contribution to habitat suitability are identified. The relationship between quantitative traits and a few of the environmental variables associated with habitat suitability is non-linear. Our results highlight the benefits of integrating species and phenotypic distribution modeling approaches in characterization of livestock populations, delineation of suitable habitats for specific breeds, and understanding of the relationship between ecological variables and quantitative traits, and underlying evolutionary processes.
 
Date 2021-09-08
2021-10-01T09:43:15Z
2021-10-01T09:43:15Z
 
Type Journal Article
 
Identifier Getachew, F., Komen, H., Dessie, T., Worku, S., Hanotte, O. and Bastiaansen, J.W.M. 2021. Species and phenotypic distribution models reveal population differentiation in Ethiopian indigenous chickens. Frontiers in Genetics 12:723360.
1664-8021
https://hdl.handle.net/10568/115287
https://doi.org/10.3389/fgene.2021.723360
 
Language en
 
Rights CC-BY-4.0
Open Access
 
Publisher Frontiers Media SA
 
Source Frontiers in Genetics