Abstract

LOPEZ-ZAVALA, Rigoberto et al. Genetic diversity and population structure of Mexican domesticated turkeys. Rev. mex. de cienc. pecuarias [online]. 2013, vol.4, n.4, pp.417-434. ISSN 2448-6698.

In this study, the diversity level and genetic structure of 144 domesticated backyard turkeys from domesticated populations in five physiographic regions of Michoacán and 16 turkeys from two wild populations in Central México, which were used as a reference outgroup, were analyzed through seven microsatellite loci. The average of the observed heterozygosity within the domesticated turkeys was moderate (0.535 ± 0.285) compared with wild turkeys (0.701 ± 0.068). Across the loci, the domesticated turkeys showed differentiation between the populations (F_ST= 0.122). The differentiation percentages estimated by Analysis of Molecular Variance were low between the populations (14 % domesticated and 6 % wild) and high within populations (86 % domesticated and 94 % wild). Similarity analyses showed a single cluster of wild turkeys and two basal clusters of domesticated turkeys; one basal cluster included three subgroups with populations from the Bajío, Faja Volcánica Transmexicana and Balsas regions, and a second cluster contained two subgroups with populations from the Sierra and Costa regions. Structure software analyses showed three groups of domesticated turkeys and one group of wild turkeys. A Mantel test showed an isolation by distance pattern (r=0.84, P<0.05) between the domesticated populations. Genetic clusters for the domesticated turkeys were consistent with previously obtained morphometric data from the same population; one cluster grouped populations from the Bajío and Balsas regions (intermediate morphometry), the population from Faja Volcánica Transmexicana formed a second cluster (big and heavy) and the third cluster corresponded to populations from the Sierra and Costa regions (small and light).

Keywords : Genetic diversity; Genetic distance; Meleagris gallopavo; Microsatellite.