title: Genetic diversity of Forest and Savannah chicken populations of Ghana as estimated by microsatellite markers.
abstract: The characterization of indigenous animal genetic resources is a requisite step in providing needed information for the conservation of useful genotypes against future needs. Thus, in this study, 22 microsatellite markers were used to genotype 114 local chickens from the Forest (n = 59) and Savannah (n = 55) eco-zones of Ghana and the results compared to those of the ancestral red junglefowl (n = 15) and two European commercial chicken populations--a broiler (n = 25) and white leghorn (n = 25). A total of 171 alleles were observed, with an average of 7.8 alleles per locus. The local Ghanaian chickens showed higher diversity in terms of the observed number of alleles per locus (6.6) and observed heterozygosity (0.568) compared with the combined control populations (6.0 and 0.458, respectively). However, Wright's F-statistics revealed negligible genetic differentiation (F(ST)) in local Ghanaian chicken populations. In addition, 65% of the Savannah chickens were inferred to be more likely from the Forest, suggesting a south-north dispersal of chickens from their probable original location in the Forest zone to the Savannah areas. It is concluded that the Forest and Savannah chickens of Ghana are a single, randomly mating unselected population, characterized by high genetic diversity and constitute a valuable resource for conservation and improvement.
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Science, University of Ghana, Legon, Ghana.
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Osei-Amponsah
authors.forename: Boniface B
authors.initials: BB
authors.lastname: Kayang
authors.forename: Augustine
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Naazie
authors.forename: Yaa D
authors.initials: YD
authors.lastname: Osei
authors.forename: Issaka A K
authors.initials: IA
authors.lastname: Youssao
authors.forename: Valentine C
authors.initials: VC
authors.lastname: Yapi-Gnaore
authors.forename: Michèle
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tixier-Boichard
authors.forename: Xavier
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Rognon
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002645:Chickens / Q000235:genetics*; D014644:Genetic Variation; D005838:Genotype; D005869:Ghana; D018895:Microsatellite Repeats