Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
1st International Symposium of Biodiversity Studies, Ankara, Türkiye, 23 - 25 Mayıs 2022, ss.1-12
Local breeds have been displaced by highly effective commercial hybrid genotypes in Turkey and emerging nations because to rising protein requirements and fast population increase. This has caused significant genetic losses among livestock, especially in poultry species and breeds. The red jungle fowl, which is thought to be the evolutionary predecessor of chickens, was first domesticated in the Indochina region in the 6000s-8000s BC and subsequently brought to other continents by humans, according to the studies on ancient DNA. Anatolia is considered one of the world's most important biodiversity hotspots, with a key role in the migration of chickens from domesticated zones to other continents. Unfortunately, there is insufficient information regarding the biodiversity of poultry in Anatolia, despite its long history and vital geographic location. Only two chicken breeds have been recognized and designated as native breeds, Denizli and Gerze, which are named after the cities where they were reared. In actuality, this does not indicate that Turkey's poultry breeds have reached a genetic bottleneck. Although various indigenous chicken breeds have successfully adapted to different regions of Turkey, limited research have been conducted on their identification and morphological and genetic traits. The population status, morphological, and genetic characteristics of the Ispenç and Sultan autochthonous chicken breeds will be discussed in this paper. These breeds have very old origins and have been bred with interest by breeders in Turkey for many years but have not yet been registered as domestic chicken breeds.