title: Indo-European and Asian origins for Chilean and Pacific chickens revealed by mtDNA.
abstract: European chickens were introduced into the American continents by the Spanish after their arrival in the 15th century. However, there is ongoing debate as to the presence of pre-Columbian chickens among Amerindians in South America, particularly in relation to Chilean breeds such as the Araucana and Passion Fowl. To understand the origin of these populations, we have generated partial mitochondrial DNA control region sequences from 41 native Chilean specimens and compared them with a previously generated database of approximately 1,000 domestic chicken sequences from across the world as well as published Chilean and Polynesian ancient DNA sequences. The modern Chilean sequences cluster closely with haplotypes predominantly distributed among European, Indian subcontinental, and Southeast Asian chickens, consistent with a European genetic origin. A published, apparently pre-Columbian, Chilean specimen and six pre-European Polynesian specimens also cluster with the same European/Indian subcontinental/Southeast Asian sequences, providing no support for a Polynesian introduction of chickens to South America. In contrast, sequences from two archaeological sites on Easter Island group with an uncommon haplogroup from Indonesia, Japan, and the Philippines [corrected] and may represent a genetic signature of an early Polynesian dispersal. Modeling of the potential marine carbon contribution to the Chilean archaeological specimen casts further doubt on claims for pre-Columbian chickens, and definitive proof will require further analyses of ancient DNA sequences and radiocarbon and stable isotope data from archaeological excavations within both Chile and Polynesia.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Advanced Technologies in Animal Genetics and Reproduction, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Sydney, Sydney NSW 2006, Australia. j.gongora@usyd.edu.au
authors.forename: Jaime
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gongora
authors.forename: Nicolas J
authors.initials: NJ
authors.lastname: Rawlence
authors.forename: Victor A
authors.initials: VA
authors.lastname: Mobegi
authors.forename: Han
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Jianlin
authors.forename: Jose A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Alcalde
authors.forename: Jose T
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Matus
authors.forename: Olivier
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Hanotte
authors.forename: Chris
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Moran
authors.forename: Jeremy J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Austin
authors.forename: Sean
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ulm
authors.forename: Atholl J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Anderson
authors.forename: Greger
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Larson
authors.forename: Alan
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cooper
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001208:Asia; D001483:Base Sequence; D002645:Chickens / Q000235:genetics*; D002677:Chile; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial / Q000235:genetics*; D005060:Europe; D014644:Genetic Variation; D006239:Haplotypes / Q000235:genetics; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D011114:Polynesia; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA
chemical_list: D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial