Sequencing of gamecocks and other chickens

Chickens were domesticated at least 4,000 years ago, probably first for the purpose of fighting them and only later as a source of food. Fighting chickens, commonly known as gamecocks, are still being actively bred for fights throughout the world, but the genetic relationships among geographically diverse gamecocks and with nongame chickens are not known. The goal of this study is to perform population genetic analyses of gamecocks in relation to nongame chickens and to the other species of the Gallus genus.