Genetic diversity and population structure of indigenous guinea fowl ( Numida meleagris) in Benin using simple sequence repeat markers

This study aimed to assess the genetic diversity and population structure of 12 guinea fowl phenotypes from three climatic zones (Guinean, Sudano-Guinean and Sudanian) of Benin. A total of 96 adult guinea fowl, aged at least 6 months, were selected for blood sampling. Fragment analysis was carried out using 17 polymorphic microsatellite markers. The informative marker combinations revealed a total of 83 alleles across all loci, with an average of 5 alleles per locus and a mean polymorphic information content (PIC) of 0.793. This study showed an observed heterozygosity of 0.492. The inbreeding coefficient values ranged from -0.086 in white phenotype to 0.226 in cinnamon, showing a deficit of heterozygotes, suggesting a moderate inbreeding level. A relatively low population differentiation was observed, with a mean fixation index (Fst) value of 0.033. The short genetic distances between phenotypes, unlike the strong genetic identities, revealed high genetic proximity between the 12 phenotypes of indigenous guinea fowl in Benin. These data indicate the existence of a single indigenous guinea fowl population with high intra-population genetic diversity with respect to climatic zones or phenotypes. This study will help in the selection of parental breeding stock for genetic improvement programs, as well as in the conservation for biodiversity maintenance and sustainable use of the indigenous guinea fowl in the study zones in Benin.