Anticipating spring: wild populations of great tits (Parus major) differ in expression of key genes for photoperiodic time measurement.

ABSTRACT: Measuring day length is critical for timing annual changes in physiology and behavior in many species. Recently, rapid changes in several photoperiodically-controlled genes following exposure to a single long day have been described. Components of this 'first day release' model have so far only been tested in highly domesticated species: quail, sheep, goats and rodents. Because artificial selection accompanying domestication acts on genes related to photoperiodicity, we must also study this phenomenon in wild organisms for it to be accepted as universal. In a songbird, the great tit (Parus major), we tested whether a) these genes are involved in photoperiodic time measurement (PTM) in a wild species, and b) whether predictable species and population differences in expression patterns exist

SUBMITTER: Perfito N 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3334499 | biostudies-literature | 2012

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature