A contribution to the understanding of the evolution and domestication of chickens

Autores

  • Paulo Eduardo Brandão

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.34188/bjaerv9n3-299

Palavras-chave:

evolution, domestication, Gallus Gallus, genomics, symbiosis

Resumo

Considering the fragmented nature of paleontological, genetic, and anthropological data regarding the evolutionary history of the chicken (Gallus gallus domesticus), a consolidated consensus is necessary. This study aims to synthesize the evolutionary timeline, domestication centers, and genomic adaptations of this species. To this end, a comprehensive narrative bibliographic review was conducted, integrating data from paleontological records, genomic sequencing, and historical anthropology. In this way, it is observed that modern chickens derive primarily from Gallus gallus and Gallus sonnerati, with domestication initiating around 5,400 BCE in China, followed by global dispersal. Genomic data reveals specific mutations linked to reproductive and growth traits, highlighting a profound symbiotic co-evolution with Homo sapiens sapiens. This allows us to conclude that the chicken’s evolutionary success is a result of mutual domestication, and future advancements will likely rely on targeted genomic modifications to enhance disease resistance and production traits.

Referências

APPLEBY, M. C.; MENCH, J. A.; HUGHES, B. O. Poultry behavior and welfare. Oxfordshire: CABI Publishing, 2004. 276 p.

CLARKE, J. A.; TAMBUSSI, C. P.; NORIEGA, J. I.; ERICKSON, G. M.; KETCHAM, R. A. Definitive fossil evidence for the extant avian radiation in the Cretaceous. Nature, London, v. 433, n. 7023, p. 305-308, 2005.

ELLEGREN, H. Molecular evolutionary genomics of birds. Cytogenetic and Genome Research, Basel, v. 117, n. 1-4, p. 120-130, 2007.

ERICKSON, G. M.; RAUHUT, O. W.; ZHOU, Z.; TURNER, A. H.; INOUYE, B. D.; HU, D.; NORELL, M. A. Was dinosaurian physiology inherited by birds? Reconciling slow growth in archaeopteryx. PLoS One, San Francisco, v. 4, n. 10, e7390, 2009.

GRIGG, G. C.; BEARD, L. A.; AUGEE, M. L. The evolution of endothermy and its diversity in mammals and birds. Physiological and Biochemical Zoology, Chicago, v. 77, n. 6, p. 982-997, 2004.

HILLENIUS, W. J.; RUBEN, J. A. The evolution of endothermy in terrestrial vertebrates: Who? When? Why? Physiological and Biochemical Zoology, Chicago, v. 77, n. 6, p. 1019-1042, 2004.

INTERNATIONAL CHICKEN GENOME SEQUENCING CONSORTIUM. Sequence and comparative analysis of the chicken genome provide unique perspectives on vertebrate evolution. Nature, London, v. 432, n. 7018, p. 695-716, 2004.

KERSTENS, H. H.; CROOIJMANS, R. P.; DIBBITS, B. W.; VEREIJKEN, A.; OKIMOTO, R.; GROENEN, M. A. Structural variation in the chicken genome identified by paired-end next-generation DNA sequencing of reduced representation libraries. BMC Genomics, London, v. 12, p. 94, 2011.

LAWLER, A. Animal domestication. In search of the wild chicken. Science, New York, v. 338, n. 6110, p. 1020-1024, 2012.

LEE, M. S.; WORTHY, T. H. Likelihood reinstates Archaeopteryx as a primitive bird. Biology Letters, London, v. 8, n. 2, p. 299-303, 2012.

LINDOW, B. E.; DYKE, G. J. Bird evolution in the Eocene: climate change in Europe and a Danish fossil fauna. Biological Reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society, London, v. 81, n. 4, p. 483-499, 2006.

LYALL, J.; IRVINE, R. M.; SHERMAN, A.; MCKINLEY, T. J.; NÚÑEZ, A.; PURDIE, A.; OUTTRIM, L.; BROWN, I. H.; ROLLESTON-SMITH, G.; SANG, H.; TILEY, L. Suppression of avian influenza transmission in genetically modified chickens. Science, Washington, v. 331, n. 6014, p. 223-226, 2011.

RUBIN, C. J.; ZODY, M. C.; ERIKSSON, J.; MEADOWS, J. R.; SHERWOOD, E.; WEBSTER, M. T.; JIANG, L.; INGMAN, M.; SHARPE, T.; KA, S.; HALLBÖÖK, F.; BESNIER, F.; CARLBORG, O.; BED'HOM, B.; TIXIER-BOICHARD, M.; JENSEN, P.; SIEGEL, P.; LINDBLAD-TOH, K.; ANDERSSON, L. Whole-genome resequencing reveals loci under selection during chicken domestication. Nature, London, v. 464, n. 7288, p. 587-591, 2010.

SHEN, Y. Y.; LIANG, L.; SUN, Y. B.; YUE, B. S.; YANG, X. J.; MURPHY, R. W.; ZHANG, Y. P. A mitogenomic perspective on the ancient, rapid radiation in the Galliformes with an emphasis on the Phasianidae. BMC Evolutionary Biology, London, v. 10, p. 132, 2010.

SIERRA, E. M.; BLANCO, F. L. F. C. Frugivory by birds in Miconia resimaNaudin & Miconia prasina (Sw) DC (MELASTOMATACEAE), and its relationships with the fructification phenology in Cundinamarca, Colombia.Brazilian Journal of Animal and EnvironmentalResearch, v. 4, n.4, p.5619-5646,l 2021.

STOREY, A. A.; ATHENS, J. S.; BRYANT, D.; CARSON, M.; EMERY, K.; DEFRANCE, S.; HIGHAM, C.; HUYNEN, L.; INTOH, M.; JONES, S.; KIRCH, P. V.; LADEFOGED, T.; MCCOY, P.; MORALES-MUÑIZ, A.; QUIROZ, D.; REITZ, E.; ROBINS, J.; WALTER, R.; MATISOO-SMITH, E. Investigating the global dispersal of chickens in prehistory using ancient mitochondrial DNA signatures. PLoS One, San Francisco, v. 7, n. 7, e39171, 2012.

TIEMANN, I.; REHKÄMPER, G. Evolutionary pets: offspring numbers reveal speciation process in domesticated chickens. PLoS One, San Francisco, v. 7, n. 8, e41453, 2012.

TIXIER-BOICHARD, M.; BED'HOM, B.; ROGNON, X. Chicken domestication: from archeology to genomics. Comptes Rendus Biologies, Paris, v. 334, n. 3, p. 197-204, 2011.

WANG, J.; HE, X.; RUAN, J.; DAI, M.; CHEN, J.; ZHANG, Y.; HU, Y.; YE, C.; LI, S.; CONG, L.; FANG, L.; LIU, B.; LI, S.; WANG, J.; BURT, D. W.; WONG, G. K.; YU, J.; YANG, H.; WANG, J. ChickVD: a sequence variation database for the chicken genome. Nucleic Acids Research, London, v. 33, n. 1, p. D438-D441, 2005.

ZHOU, Z.; ZHANG, F. A long-tailed, seed-eating bird from the Early Cretaceous of China. Nature, London, v. 418, n. 6896, p. 405-409, 2002.

Downloads

Publicado

2026-09-22

Como Citar

Brandão, P. E. (2026). A contribution to the understanding of the evolution and domestication of chickens. Brazilian Journal of Animal and Environmental Research, 9(3), e89401. https://doi.org/10.34188/bjaerv9n3-299

Edição

v. 9 n. 3 (2026)

Seção

Artigos originais

Licença

  • O conteúdo dos artigos é de responsabilidade exclusiva dos autores.
  •  É permitida a reprodução total ou parcial do conteúdo dos artigos, desde que citada a fonte.
  •  Artigos com plágio serão recusados, e o autor do plágio perderá o direito de publicar nesta revista.
  •  Os nomes e endereços informados nesta revista serão utilizados exclusivamente para os serviços prestados por esta publicação e não estão disponíveis para outros fins ou a terceiros.
  •  Depois de enviar os artigos, os autores cedem os direitos autorais de seus artigos ao BJAER. Se você se arrepender da submissão, o autor tem o direito de solicitar ao BJAER que não publique seu artigo. Porém, essa solicitação deve ocorrer até dois meses antes da divulgação do número que o artigo será publicado.
  •  O BJAER usa a licença Creative Commons CC BY. Informações sobre esta licença podem ser encontradas em: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/br/

 

 

Brazilian Journal of Animal and Environmental Research (BJAER) se reserva o direito de efetuar nos originais alterações de ordem normativa, ortográfica e gramatical, com vistas a manter o padrão culto da língua, respeitando, porém, o estilo dos autores. Os trabalhos finais não serão enviadas aos autores.