Random amplified polymorphic DNA markers in crosses between inbred lines of Rhode Island Red and White Leghorn chickens

Reciprocal crosses and backcrosses were conducted between inbred Rhode Island Red and White Leghorn chickens differentiated for egg production and egg quality traits. Random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) markers distinguishing inbred lines were detected. Twenty‐two polymorphic bands were found from screening 120 single 10‐mer random primers of which two were consistent with sex‐linked markers. Of 90 pairwise two‐point linkage analyses completed for the autosomal markers, four close linkages (8·2 cM to 14·9 cM) were significantly different from zero.