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A brief history of the turkey 1

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 September 2007

A. W. Brant
A. W. Brant
Affiliation:
Department of Food Science and Technology, University of California, Davis, California 95616, USA
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Abstract

The recorded history of the turkey spans about 500 years. Turkeys originated in North America, were domesticated in Europe, and are now an important source of food in many parts of the world. This review touches on some major episodes in the history of this valuable and beautiful bird, its discovery, domestication, the fame it achieved, its name and the development of some varieties, including the broad breasted phenomenon and Beltsville Small White.

Keywords

DomesticationEuropehistoryNorth Americaturkeyvarieties; wild
Type
Research Article
Information
World's Poultry Science Journal , Volume 54 , Issue 4 , December 1998 , pp. 365 - 373
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1998

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