Ontology highlight
ABSTRACT:
SUBMITTER: Fossoy F
PROVIDER: S-EPMC4729921 | biostudies-literature | 2016
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
Nature communications 20160112
Maternal inheritance via the female-specific W chromosome was long ago proposed as a potential solution to the evolutionary enigma of co-existing host-specific races (or 'gentes') in avian brood parasites. Here we report the first unambiguous evidence for maternal inheritance of egg colouration in the brood-parasitic common cuckoo Cuculus canorus. Females laying blue eggs belong to an ancient (∼2.6 Myr) maternal lineage, as evidenced by both mitochondrial and W-linked DNA, but are indistinguisha ...[more]