Australian and Pacific contributions to the genetic diversity of Norfolk Island feral chickens.
BACKGROUND
Norfolk Island has a population of feral chickens which could be the result of domestic stock introduced onto the island by British settlers in 1788. However, there is ongoing debate about their origins because multiple human arrivals to the island may have brought chickens with them. Here we investigate the genetic origins of these feral chickens by sequencing their mitochondrial control region. We infer their phylogenetic relationships using a large dataset of novel sequences from Australian mainland domestic chickens and published sequences from around the world.


RESULTS
Eleven control region haplotypes were found among the Norfolk Island feral and Australian mainland domestic chickens. Six of the Norfolk Island haplotypes fall within haplogroup E, but given the worldwide distribution of this haplogroup, the putative European origin of these chickens requires further investigation. One haplotype common among Norfolk Island and Australian samples belonged to a subgroup of haplogroup D, which appears to be restricted to chickens from Indonesia, Vanuatu and Guam.


CONCLUSIONS
Our data show that at least two mitochondrial DNA haplogroups (D and E) have contributed to the genetic make-up of Norfolk Island feral chickens. In addition, we have provided insights into the discrete geographical distribution and diversity of the chicken haplogroup D. In view of the worldwide interest in the characterisation of poultry resources, further assessment of chicken populations of Island Southeast Asia and the Pacific region is warranted.
Veterinary Science, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia. jaime.gongora@sydney.edu.au.
Shannan M
SM
Langford S
Spiridoula
S
Kraitsek
Bruce
B
Baskerville
Simon Y W
SY
Ho
Jaime
J
Gongora
D000818:Animals; D001315:Australia; D002645:Chickens / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics*; D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D014644:Genetic Variation; D016678:Genome; D006239:Haplotypes; D008542:Melanesia; D008928:Mitochondria / Q000235:genetics*; D010802:Phylogeny; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA
D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial