%0 Journal Article
%T Morphometric Assessment of Common Guinea Fowl (<i>Numida meleagris</i>) in Cameroon
%A Francis Djiotsa Dongmo
%A Felix Meutchieye
%A Jean Massawa
%A Jean Pierre Mingoas Kilekoung
%J Open Journal of Animal Sciences
%P 478-495
%@ 2161-7627
%D 2023
%I Scientific Research Publishing
%R 10.4236/ojas.2023.134034
%X A survey was conducted in the Sudano-Sahelian, High
Savannah, and Western Highlands agroecological zones of Cameroon to assess the
morphometric features and to determine the
population structure of the native common guinea fowl breed. A total of
1021 adult common guinea fowls were sampled in the dominant pastoral production
system. The main results showed that there was a phenotypic variability (p <
0.01) of the morphometric characteristics of common guinea fowls with a
dominance of pearl gray coloring of the plumage (23.02%), bluish red barbels
(29.09%), black eyes (36.04%) and tarsi (39.18%). The development of the
barbels and the shape of the comb are determinants of the sex (p < 0.01), as
well as the live weight which presents a dimorphism in favor of the females (p
< 0.01). The average measurements (in cm) were: Crest height (2.07 ¡À 0.03),
Crest length (2.79 ¡À 0.03), Barbel length (3.35 ¡À 0.04), Barbel height (2.28 ¡À
0.02), Spout length (2.11 ¡À 0.01), Caruncle length (0.69 ¡À 0.01), Baleen length
(4.32 ¡À 0.04), Chest circumference (31.81 ¡À 0.99), Wing length (25.99 ¡À 0.18),
wingspan (41.82 ¡À 0.32), Thigh diameter (9.17 ¡À 0.10), Thigh length (11.30 ¡À 0.07),
Tarsus length (6.62 ¡À 0.04), Tarsus diameter (1.20 ¡À 0.07), Body length (40.13
¡À 0.15), and Live weight (1.68 ¡À 0.02 kg). The highest positive correlation (r <
0.70) was observed between thigh and ridge length. The PCR revealed that three
(3) components (F1, F2 and F3) make it
possible to better explain phenotypic variability (50.21%). The variables
that contributed most to the explanation of the observed total variability are
the length of the crest (0.70%), the beak (0.61%), the wattle (0.70%), the body
(0.44%), the wing (0.35%), thigh (0.68%), tarsus (0.29%) and wing span (0.41%)
for the main component F1 while the F2 and F3 components mainly concern the length of the barbel (0.43%) and
the height of the crest (0.48%) respectively. The F1 factor constitutes the
most discriminating variable (89.40%). The AFD and the CAH made it possible to
detect 03 sub-populations (T1, T2, and T3) which can be grouped into 2
subgroups on the
%K Genetic Diversity
%K Measurement
%K Guinea Fowl
%K Cameroon
%U http://www.scirp.org/journal/PaperInformation.aspx?PaperID=128533