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Turkey Genome Mapped

Researchers from the University of Minnesota, in collaboration with Nicholas Turkey Breeding Farms, have collaborated to produce the first genome map of the domestic turkey (Meleagris gallopavo).

Previous research has succeeded at mapping the chicken genome, but the turkey equivalent remained a tantalizing challenge - until now.

The report, "A first-generation map of the turkey genome" is being published in Genome, a journal of the National Research Council of Canada (NRC) Research Press.

Dr. David Harry, a key researcher, noted, "Finding a way to breed a turkey with naturally occurring beneficial traits is clearly of interest to the poultry-producing industry. Using naturally occurring variations, it is possible build a better turkey..."