Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39965774›Full record

ArticleGigaScience2025

Genomic evidence for hybridization and introgression between blue peafowl and endangered green peafowl and molecular foundation of leucistic plumage of blue peafowl.

Gang Wang, Xinye Zhang, Xiurong Zhao, Xufang Ren, Anqi Chen, Wenting Dai, Li Zhang, Yan Lu, Zhihua Jiang, Huie Wang and 8 more

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in GigaScience, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
5citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

5 citing papers in PubMed.

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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

18 authors.

Gang WangCollege of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100091, China.ORCID 0000-0003-1764-8383
Xinye ZhangCollege of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100091, China.ORCID 0000-0002-2421-3129
Xiurong ZhaoCollege of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100091, China.
Xufang RenCollege of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100091, China.
Anqi ChenCollege of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100091, China.
Wenting DaiCollege of Grassland Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100091, China.
Li ZhangBeijing Key Laboratory of Captive Wildlife Technologies, Beijing Zoo, Beijing 100091, China.
Yan LuInstitute of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Medicine, Beijing Academy of Agricultural and Forestry Sciences, Beijing 100097, China.
Zhihua JiangDepartment of Animal Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164, USA.
Huie WangSchool of Animal Science and technology, Tarim University, Xinjiang 843300, China.
Yong LiuNongxiao Breeding Poultry Breeding Co., Ltd. Beijing 102400, China.
Xiaoyu ZhaoXingrui Technology Co., Ltd. Hebei 072557, China.
Junhui WenCollege of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100091, China.
Xue ChengCollege of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100091, China.
Yalan ZhangCollege of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100091, China.
Zhonghua NingCollege of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100091, China.
Liping BanCollege of Grassland Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100091, China.ORCID 0000-0001-8560-6922
Lujiang QuCollege of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100091, China.ORCID 0000-0003-2748-9101

Funding

Beijing Agriculture Innovation Consortium BAIC06-2023
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionThe blue peafowl (Pavo cristatus) and the green peafowl (Pavo muticus) have garnered significant public affection due to their stunning appearance, although the green peafowl is currently endangered. The causative mutation that causes the leucistic plumage of the blue peafowl (also called white peafowl) remains unknown.

resultsIn this study, we generated a chromosome-level reference genome of the blue peafowl with a contig N50 of 30.6 Mb, including the autosomes, Z and W sex chromosomes, and a complete mitochondria DNA sequence. Data from 77 peafowl whole genomes, 76 peafowl mitochondrial genomes, and 33 peafowl W chromosomes genomes provided the first substantial genetic evidence for recent hybridization between green peafowls and blue peafowls. We found 3 hybrid green peafowls in zoo samples rather than in the wild samples, with a blue peafowl genomic content of 16-34%. Maternal genetic analysis showed that 2 of the hybrid female green peafowls contained complete blue peafowl mitochondrial genomes and W chromosomes. Some animal protection agencies release captive green peafowls in order to maintain the wild population of green peafowls. Therefore, to better protect the endangered green peafowl, we suggest that purebred identification must be carried out before releasing green peafowls from zoos into the wild in order to prevent the hybrid green peafowl from contaminating the wild green peafowl. In addition, we also found that there were historical introgression events of green peafowl to blue peafowl in 4 zoo blue peafowl individuals. The introgressed genomic regions contain IGFBP1 and IGFBP3 genes that could affect blue peafowl body size. Finally, we identified that the nonsense mutation (g.4:12583552G>A) in the EDNRB2 gene is the genetic causative mutation for leucistic plumage of blue peafowl, preventing melanocytes from being transported into plumage, thereby inhibiting melanin deposition.

conclusionOur research provides both theoretical and empirical support for the conservation of the endangered green peafowl. The high-quality genome and genomic data also provide a valuable resource for blue peafowl genomics-assisted breeding.

Indexed as

FeathersGalliformesGenetic IntrogressionGenomicsHybridization, GeneticAnimalsEndangered SpeciesFemaleGenomeGenome, MitochondrialMalePigmentationconservationhybridizationintrogressionleucistic plumagepeafowl

Identifiers

PMID39965774
PMCPMC11835448

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.