China as a Center of Origin and Domestication of Chicken: A Review

Abstract

China has about 107 local chicken breeds and is considered one of the richest countries in terms of genetic resources. This diversity is a source of richness natural resources across the globe and is regarded as an excellent material for genetic improvement of breeds or breeding new breeds around the world. The present review highlights the recent evidence and studies of chicken origin and domestication in China and Southeast Asia. The evidence of molecular genetics and archeological results supported that multiple regions and event were contributed to the creation of chicken evolution from Red Jungle fowl and the findings proposed that one of events happened in domestication of chicken 8000 BP in Southeast of Asia. Several researchers confirmed that China was declared as most important of the world as a first centers for the chicken’s domestication and these chickens have remained in many archaeological sites in China.