Project description:Here, using whole-genome methylation sequencing, we measured how additional carers influence DNA methylation in nestlings of chestnut-crowned babblers (Pomatostomus ruficeps). Comparing nestlings raised by just their parents and those raised by parents plus additional helpers revealed that additional care is associated with genome-wide differences in DNA methylation. Overall, we saw more methylated in nestlings reared by groups. Sites associated with genes integral for metabolism, growth, sociality, and coping with stressors were differentially methylated between the groups.
