Genetic variability in three native Iranian chicken populations of the Khorasan province based on microsatellite markers.

This paper represents the results of a study on the genetic diversity in three native chicken populations (Barred, Brown and Black) of Khorasan, a province in northeastern Iran, by using four microsatellite markers (MCW0005, MCW0016, MCW0018 and MCW0034). Average number of alleles was found to be 5.25 per locus across all populations. The examined populations were characterized by a high level of genetic variability as assessed by computing the expected and observed heterozygosities, and polymorphism information content. The authors consider the results of this investigation as an accumulation of data in a research program concerning genetic characteristics of the native chicken populations of Iran that have not been surveyed yet.