542 j Journal of Molecular Cell Biology (2016), 8(6), 542–552 doi:10.1093/jmcb/mjw044 Published online October 15, 2016 Article Comparative population genomics reveals genetic basis underlying body size of domestic chickens Ming-Shan Wang1,2, Yong-Xia Huo1,3, Yan Li4, Newton O. Otecko1,2, Ling-Yan Su2,5, Hai-Bo Xu1,2, Shi-Fang Wu1,2, Min-Sheng Peng1,2, He-Qun Liu1,2, Lin Zeng1,2, David M. Irwin1,6,7, Yong-Gang Yao2,5, Dong-Dong Wu1,2,*, and Ya-Ping Zhang1,2,4,* 1 State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Yunnan Laboratory of Molecular Biology of Domestic Animals, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Downloaded from Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650223, China 2 Kunming College of Life Science, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650204, China 3 College of Life Science, Anhui University, Hefei 230601, China 4 Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resource, Yunnan University, Kunming 650091, China 5 Key Laboratory of Animal Models and Human Disease Mechanisms of the Chinese Academy of Sciences & Yunnan Province, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Kunming 650223, China http://jmcb.oxfordjournals.org/ 6 Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 1A8, Canada 7 Banting and Best Diabetes Centre, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5G 2C4, Canada * Correspondence to: Dong-Dong Wu, E-mail:
[email protected]; Ya-Ping Zhang, E-mail:
[email protected] Body size is the most important economic trait for animal production and breeding. Several hundreds of loci have been reported to be associated with growth trait and body weight in chickens.