Genetic differences between willow warbler migratory phenotypes are few and cluster in large haplotype blocks.

ABSTRACT: It is well established that differences in migratory behavior between populations of songbirds have a genetic basis but the actual genes underlying these traits remains largely unknown. In an attempt to identify such candidate genes we de novo assembled the genome of the willow warbler Phylloscopus trochilus, and used whole-genome resequencing and a SNP array to associate genomic variation with migratory phenotypes across two migratory divides around the Baltic Sea that separate SW migrating P. t. trochilus wintering in western Africa and SSE migrating P. t. acredula wintering in eastern and southern Africa. We found that the genomes of the two migratory phenotypes lack clear differences except for three highly differentiated regions located on chromosomes 1, 3,

SUBMITTER: Lundberg M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6121796 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature