Candidate genes have sex-specific effects on timing of spring migration and moult speed in a long-distance migratory bird
Abstract
The timing of major life-history events, such as migration and moult, is set by endogenous circadian and circannual clocks, that have been well characterized at the molecular level. Conversely, the genetic sources of variation in phenology and in other behavioral traits have been sparsely addressed. It has been proposed that inter-individual variability in the timing of seasonal events may arise from allelic polymorphism at phenological candidate genes involved in the signaling cascade of the endogenous clocks. In this study of a long-distance migratory passerine bird, the willow warblerPhylloscopus trochilus, we investigated whether allelic variation at 5 polymorphic loci of 4 candidate genes (Adcyap1,Clock,Creb1, andNpas2), predicted 2 major components of the annual schedule, namely timing of spring migration across the central Mediterranean sea and moult speed, the latter gauged from ptilochronological analyses of tail feathers moulted in the African winter quarters. We identified a novelClockgene locus (Clockregion 3) showing polyQ polymorphism, which was however not significantly associated with any phenotypic trait.Npas2allele size predicted male (but not female) spring migration date, with males bearing longer alleles mi...Continue Reading
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