Abstract：Whole genome sequencing (WGS) is a sequencing of one individual or group of species by high-throughput sequencing technology, and analyses the sequence features by bioinformatics. The aim of WGS is exploring the evolution rule and screening functional genes in genome wide. It includes de novo and re-sequencing. Because its full-information, accurate, efficient, especially effect in finding of unknown gene and unknown structural variation, it quickly surpass the previous technologies to become a major strategy in the studies of population evolution and gene discovery after the cost of sequencing great decline. Especially in domestic animals, genome-wide sequencing has widely used in chicken (Gallus gallus), pig (Sus scrofa), cattle (Bos taurus), sheep (Ovis aries), goat (Capra hircus), horse (Equus caballus), duck (Anas platyrhynchos), dog (Canis lupus), and explores the rule of animal evolution, and finds a great deal of functional genes. Furthermore, the WGS has broad application prospects in the construction of Pan-genome and breeding by whole-genome selective. Here, we introduce the characteristics and development of whole-genome sequencing, outline and discuss the application in domestic animal evolution and gene discovery, and sketch its key point and prospects.
