Assessing genetic variability in two ancient chicken breeds of Padova area

Genetic diversity in two ancient indigenous chicken breeds of the Veneto region was assessed using Amplified Fragment Length Polymorphism (AFLP) markers. A total of 63 individuals were analysed using three selected AFLP primer combinations that produced 66 clear polymorphisms. The breeds analyzed were the Padovana and the Polverara (two ancient breeds) and a reference broiler line. The expected heterozygosity (Het) did not differ significantly among breeds. The variability at AFLP loci was largely maintained across breeds, as indicated by the coefficient of genetic differentiation (Gst) value. The lowest genetic distance is found between the Padovana and Polverara breeds suggesting that they could be genetically close