Complete Mitochondrial Genome Analysis Clarifies the Enigmatic Origin of Haplogroup D in Japanese Native Chickens.

Japanese native chickens (JNCs) comprise approximately 50 breeds, making Japan a diversity hotspot for native chicken breeds. JNCs were established through the repeated introduction of chickens from foreign countries. Jidori, which is the generic name of JNC breeds whose ancestral morphology resembles that of their wild progenitor (red junglefowls), is generally thought to have propagated from north East Asia (Korea and north China) to ancient Japan.

Comparative morphological study of skeletal muscle weight among the red jungle fowl (Gallus gallus) and various fowl breeds (Gallus domesticus).

We examined the weight distribution of skeletal muscles of the red jungle fowl, then compared these values with those of domesticated populations to determine how muscle distribution has changed by selecting breeding. Sonia, Fayoumi, and Rhode Island Red were selected for comparison from livestock breeds, while Japanese Shamo and Thai fighting cocks were selected from cockfighting groups. Principal component analysis was applied using body size-free data.

Morphological variation in brain through domestication of fowl.

Great variations in the size, shape, color, feather structure and behavior are observed among fowl breeds. Because many types of domestic fowls have been bred for various purposes, they are ideal to assess the relationship between brain morphology and avian biology. However, little is known about changes in brain shape that may have occurred during fowl domestication.

Musculoskeletal System of Huge Tarsometatarsal Region in the Dong Tao Fowls from North Vietnam.

A macroscopic examination of the huge leg of the Dong Tao breed from North Vietnam was conducted. Bone and muscular tendon morphometric data demonstrated that the Dong Tao breed was equipped with the extraordinarily thick and large tarsometatarsal bone and distal parts of the related tibiotarsus regions. Morphological differences between dorsal and plantar sides were clearly observed.

Phylogenomics and Morphology of Extinct Paleognaths Reveal the Origin and Evolution of the Ratites.

The Palaeognathae comprise the flightless ratites and the volant tinamous, and together with the Neognathae constitute the extant members of class Aves. It is commonly believed that Palaeognathae originated in Gondwana since most of the living species are found in the Southern Hemisphere [1-3]. However, this hypothesis has been questioned because the fossil paleognaths are mostly from the Northern Hemisphere in their earliest time (Paleocene) and possessed many putative ancestral characters [4].

Speciation of two gobioid species, Pterogobius elapoides and Pterogobius zonoleucus revealed by multi-locus nuclear and mitochondrial DNA analyses.

To understand how geographical differentiation of gobioid fish species led to speciation, two populations of the Pacific Ocean and the Sea of Japan for each of the two gobioid species, Pterogobius elapoides and Pterogobius zonoleucus, were studied in both morphological and molecular features. Analyzing mitochondrial genes, Akihito et al. (2008) suggested that P.

The origin and genetic variation of domestic chickens with special reference to junglefowls Gallus g. gallus and G. varius.

It is postulated that chickens (Gallus gallus domesticus) became domesticated from wild junglefowls in Southeast Asia nearly 10,000 years ago. Based on 19 individual samples covering various chicken breeds, red junglefowl (G. g.