Time trees and clock genes: a systematic review and comparative analysis of contemporary avian migration genetics

dc.contributor.authorLe Clercq, Louis-Stephane
dc.contributor.authorBazzi, Gaia
dc.contributor.authorCecere, Jacopo G.
dc.contributor.authorGianfranceschi, Luca
dc.contributor.authorGrobler, Johannes Paul
dc.contributor.authorKotze, Antoinette
dc.contributor.authorRubolini, Diego
dc.contributor.authorLiedvogel, Miriam
dc.contributor.authorDalton, Desire Lee
dc.date.accessioned2023-06-05T08:19:12Z
dc.date.available2023-06-05T08:19:12Z
dc.date.issued2023
dc.description.abstractTiming is a crucial aspect for survival and reproduction in seasonal environments leading to carefully scheduled annual programs of migration in many species. But what are the exact mechanisms through which birds (class: Aves) can keep track of time, anticipate seasonal changes, and adapt their behaviour? One proposed mechanism regulating annual behaviour is the circadian clock, controlled by a highly conserved set of genes, collectively called ‘clock genes’ which are well established in controlling the daily rhythmicity of physiology and behaviour. Due to diverse migration patterns observed within and among species, in a seemingly endogenously programmed manner, the field of migration genetics has sought and tested several candidate genes within the clock circuitry that may underlie the observed differences in breeding and migration behaviour. Among others, length polymorphisms within genes such as Clock and Adcyap1 have been hypothesised to play a putative role, although association and fitness studies in various species have yielded mixed results. To contextualise the existing body of data, here we conducted a systematic review of all published studies relating polymorphisms in clock genes to seasonality in a phylogenetically and taxonomically informed manner. This was complemented by a standardised comparative re-analysis of candidate gene polymorphisms of 76 bird species, of which 58 are migrants and 18 are residents, along with population genetics analyses for 40 species with available allele data. We tested genetic diversity estimates, used Mantel tests for spatial genetic analyses, and evaluated relationships between candidate gene allele length and population averages for geographic range (breeding- and non-breeding latitude), migration distance, timing of migration, taxonomic relationships, and divergence times. Our combined analysis provided evidence (i) of a putative association between Clock gene variation and autumn migration as well as a putative association between Adcyap1 gene variation and spring migration in migratory species; (ii) that these candidate genes are not diagnostic markers to distinguish migratory from sedentary birds; and (iii) of correlated variability in both genes with divergence time, potentially reflecting ancestrally inherited genotypes rather than contemporary changes driven by selection. These findings highlight a tentative association between these candidate genes and migration attributes as well as genetic constraints on evolutionary adaptation.en_ZA
dc.identifier.citationLe Clercq, L., Bazzi, G., Cecere, J. G., Gianfranceschi, L, Grobler, J. P., Kotzé, A., Rubolini, D., Liedvogel, M., & Dalton, D. L. (2023). Time trees and clock genes: a systematic review and comparative analysis of contemporary avian migration genetics. Biological Reviews. https://doi.org/10.1111/brv.12943en_ZA
dc.identifier.issn1469-185X
dc.identifier.otherhttps://doi.org/10.1111/brv.12943
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/11660/12096
dc.language.isoenen_ZA
dc.publisherWileyen_ZA
dc.rights.holderAuthor(s)
dc.rights.licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
dc.subjectMigrationen_ZA
dc.subjectBirdsen_ZA
dc.subjectCircadianen_ZA
dc.subjectClocken_ZA
dc.subjectAdcyap1en_ZA
dc.subjectCandidate genesen_ZA
dc.subjectPhylogeneticen_ZA
dc.subjectTime treesen_ZA
dc.subjectDivergence timesen_ZA
dc.subjectOrnithologyen_ZA
dc.titleTime trees and clock genes: a systematic review and comparative analysis of contemporary avian migration geneticsen_ZA
dc.typeArticleen_ZA
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