Poultry bio-diversity and future prospects for conservation

摘要

Poultry offer an invaluable resource for mankind. A wide range of variations is found in terms of bodyweight, plumage and skin colour, feathering and comb type. Safeguarding existing poultry bio-diversity is a common theme in the conservation of alltypes of avian genetic resources. Poultry scientists need to turn their focus on two points in the future: first, the production of commercial stocks with the maximum content of desirable genes and secondly, on conserving native stocks. Too often in thepast, only the first of these points was the target. Poultry bio-diversity refers to the sum of genetic variants found within the domesticated bird species useful for both research and human food production. Diminishing bio-diversity in the form of species extinction, destruction and alteration of habitats and ecosystem has been driven primarily by growth, development and industrial expansion of human societies. Increasing loss of genetic diversity has been observed for all farmed species and poultry genetic resources are considered to be among the most endangered. Genetic diversity is crucial for the continued survival of a species, be it wild or domestic. The poultry industry faces a dilemma. Continued selection and development of commercial stocksis resulting in the loss of genes. It has been estimated that, as the result of five great periods of extinction between 440 to 650 million years ago, more than half of all families of birds was lost. Safeguarding existing poultry bio-diversity is a common theme in the conservation of all types of avian genetic resources.