Phenotypic Identification, Genetic Characterization, and Selective Signal Detection of Huitang Duck.

The Huitang duck (HT), a long-domesticated elite local breed from Hunan Province, China, with excellent meat quality, has not had its population genetic structure and genomic selective sweeps extensively studied to date. This study measured the phenotypic characteristics of HT and conducted comparative analysis between HT and 16 different duck breeds, including wild, indigenous, and meat breeds, to characterize its population structure and genetic potential. The results revealed that HT is a dual-purpose indigenous breed with a genetic background closely related to the Youxian sheldrake and Linwu ducks. In the selective sweep analysis between HT and Linwu ducks, genes such as , and , which are associated with muscle growth and development, were identified near the 27 selection signals. The comparison between HT and Jinding ducks revealed 68 selective signals that contained important genes associated with ovarian development (, , and ) and egg-laying behaviors (). Selective sweep analysis between HT and Youxian sheldrake ducks found 93 selective regions covering genes related to both meat ( and ) and egg-production ( and ) traits. Our study may provide novel knowledge for exploring the population structure and genetic potential of HT, offering a theoretical basis for its breeding strategies in the future.