Abstract. The 667 bp control region of mitochondrial DNA from 8 representative domestic duck breeds in China, which were all native preserved duck breeds, and a mallard (6 Anas zonorhyncha individuals) were sequenced. The genetic polymorphism and the origin of the 8 domestic ducks were analysed. The result showed that the haplotype diversity (Hd) and average nucleotide diversity (Pi) were 0.67136 and 0.19 %, respectively. Hd and Pi of Youxian Sheldrake were the highest in the 8 domestic duck breeds. Kimura-2 parameter genetic distance between the breeds ranged from 0.00056 to 0.00414. The NJ phylogenetic tree and reduced median-joining network chart were constructed by the total 38 haplotypes and 96 sequences, which included 12 sequences of Anas platyrhynchos from GenBank, 6 sequences of Anas zonorhyncha from GenBank and 78 sequences of this study (72 domestic ducks and 6 Anas zonorhyncha). The maternal origin of the 8 domestic ducks all originated from Anas platyrhynchos.