The objective of this work was to evaluate the phenotypic diversity of a Peloco chicken population and to compare it with three free-range broiler commercial lineages. Evaluations were done for the following characteristics: the weights of carcass, breast, drumstick, and thigh; the height, width, and length of breast; and the lengths of drumstick and thigh. Data were submitted to canonic variable analyses and to size-independent discriminant analysis (ADIT). The ADIT residues were used in Tocher´s grouping analysis and in UPGMA method. The first two canonic variables were sufficient to explain 94.66% of the total variation among phenotypes. Carcass weight had the greatest contribution for the variation (59.91%) among the bird groups, followed by drumstick weight (12.63%) and breast width (11.75%). Both grouping methods resulted in the formation of two groups, one of the commercial lineages, and other of the Peloco breed. Peloco isolation is a consequence of the selection absence for the studied characteristics. In addition, the presence of variability in Peloco breed shows the existence of animals with a greater potential for carcass weight, which makes it possible the improvement of this breed.
phenotypic diversity; multivariate analysis; genetic resources
