Chicken is the most numerous among the domesticated livestock species. Across cultures, religions, and societies, chicken is widely accepted with little or no taboo compared to other domestic animals. Its adaptability to diverse environmental conditions and demonstrated potential for breeding improvement provide a unique genetic resource for addressing the challenges of food security in a world impacted by climatic change and human population growth. Recent studies, shedding new knowledge on the chicken genomes, have helped reconstruct its past evolutionary history. Here, we review the literature concerning the origin, dispersion, and adaptation of domestic chicken. We highlight the role of human and natural selection in shaping the diversity of the species and provide a few examples of knowledge gaps that may be the focus of future research.

中文翻译：

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家鸡多样性：起源、分布和适应

鸡是家畜种类中数量最多的。在不同的文化、宗教和社会中，与其他家养动物相比，鸡肉被广泛接受，几乎没有禁忌。它对不同环境条件的适应性和已证明的育种改进潜力为应对受气候变化和人口增长影响的世界的粮食安全挑战提供了独特的遗传资源。最近的研究揭示了鸡基因组的新知识，有助于重建其过去的进化历史。在这里，我们回顾了有关家鸡的起源、分散和适应的文献。我们强调了人类和自然选择在塑造物种多样性方面的作用，并提供了一些可能成为未来研究重点的知识差距示例。