Related Experiment Videos
Discontinuous variability of brain composition among domestic chicken breeds
Gerd Rehkämper1, Emriye Kart, Heiko D Frahm
1C and O Vogt Institute of Brain Research, University of Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany. Gerd.Rehkämper@uni-duesseldorf.de
Brain, Behavior and Evolution
|March 28, 2003
Abstract:
In 80 domestic chickens from 8 breeds, the volumes of 12 brain parts were identified as dimensions in a cluster analysis. Based on Euclidean metrics and the Ward algorithm at least 2 groups were found that are congruent with the breeds 'White Crested Polish chicken' and 'Breda', although the breed identity was not a variable used in the cluster analysis. Domestication is interpreted as evolution which includes the possibility of speciation. It is hypothesized that White Crested Polish chickens and Bredas are becoming new species in terms of a biospecies concept.