Genetic diversity in pigeon (Columba livia domesticus) from three agro-ecological zones in Nigeria.
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Date
2025
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Gene Reports
Abstract
The domesticated pigeon (Columba livia domestica) possesses many valuable traits including high nutritional value and fast growth. However, there is a paucity of information on the genetic diversity and population structure of Nigerian domestic pigeon populations. We examined the pattern of the genetic variability using three concatenated sequences from cytochrome oxidase subunit I (COI), cytochrome B (CYTB), and D-loop. We studied 150 captured pigeons from three agro-ecological zones in Nigeria. The result showed 52 haplotypes (HT1-HT52) occurred only in Nigerian populations based on the three concatenated sequences. The overall haplotype diversity was 0.876 ± 0.019, and nucleotide diversity 0.055 ± 0.027. The phylogenetic tree showed significant clustering and genetic relationship of Nigerian domestic pigeons. The median-joining network showed two groups (A and B) in the Nigerian pigeon population. The group A exhibits historical population expansion which are supported by neutrality test results and Bayesian skyline plot (BSP) for the 146 Nigerian pigeon populations. This study revealed unique haplotypes, low genetic diversity, and population differentiation of Nigerian domestic pigeons.