Med. Weter. 82 (3), 128-134, 2026
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| HABIBA SAADI-IDOUHAR, SAFIA ZENIA, AMINA SMAI, SOFIANE BOUDJELLABA, FAIROUZ HADDADJ, SONIA TABET-OULDROUIS, SAID KHATAOUI, KAMEL HAMADI, SALAHEDDINE DOUMANDJI |
| Morphometry of the eggs of the Barbary partridge (Alectoris Barbara) and adaptation to semi-captive breeding: a challenge for the conservation of endemic avian biodiversity in Algeria. |
| The Barbary Partridge (BP) Alectoris barbara is an endemic game bird. The aim of the present study was to highlight this potential for adaptation by means of a 20-year longitudinal study (2004 to 2024) of changes in the morphometric parameters (weight, length and width and derived parameters) of BP eggs. A total of 1,200 eggs were sampled. The morphometric results show highly significant differences (p-value < 0.001) between the partridge generations studied. Positive linear regressions with r > 0.856 (p < 0.001) were adopted to reveal the relationship between weight, egg measurements and the generation factor. Over the years of the study, the results show gradual increases in weight, length and width of eggs (0.08 g; 0.091 mm; 0.078 mm, respectively). An ascending hierarchical classification (HAC) of the eggs shows the formation of two distinct generation groups, (G3 to G7) close to the wild phenotype and (G13 to G23) showing different traits due to adaptation to the rearing conditions. The heritability values obtained range from 0.10 to 0.37, indicating a significant influence of the environment but also a measurable genetic component. The hierarchical analysis confirms that the BP is evolving towards phenotypes that are better adapted to semi-captive rearing conditions. These findings demonstrate a significant biological advance and successful adaptation of the BP to its rearing environment, supported by morphological improvements in the eggs over the generations. |
| Keywords: Alectoris barbara, Wild line, Egg morphometry, Adaptation, Linear regression and Temporal modelling. |