A study has revealed an association between racing performance in pigeons and specific genetic variations in the dopamine D4 receptor (DRD4) gene.
Researchers sequenced and genotyped DNA samples from 123 racing pigeons from two different loft sites, and found that some of the genotypes were associated with higher racing performance in short-distance races.
These results suggest that variants of the D4 dopamine receptor may play an important role in the performance of pigeons in short distance races. It is important to note that personality traits are considered to have a strong influence on sports performance, and polymorphisms in the DRD4 gene are known to be related to these traits.
The researchers used statistical models to analyse the racing data and took into account factors such as genetic background, weather conditions and pedigree information of the pigeons. The results showed that heterozygous individuals scored significantly more performance points than homozygous individuals in certain genotype combinations.
This study provides a new understanding of the genetic factors that influence racing performance in pigeons and paves the way for further research in this area.
Source : Polymorphism in dopamine receptor D4 gene is associated with pigeon racing performance Witold Stanisław Proskura*, Jakub Kustosz*, Andrzej Dybus* and Ruben Lanckriet