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Transcriptomics of colour patterning and coloration shifts in crows
J W Poelstra1, N Vijay1, M P Hoeppner2,3
1Department of Evolutionary Biology, Evolutionary Biology Centre, Uppsala University, Norbyvägen 18D, 752 36, Uppsala, Sweden.
Molecular Ecology
|August 25, 2015
Summary
Differences in crow coloration between black carrion and grey hooded crows stem from regulatory changes in pigment production. These changes involve upstream melanogenesis pathway elements and prepatterning genes, explaining recurrent color patterns in birds.
Area of Science:
- Evolutionary biology
- Genetics
- Animal coloration
Background:
- Animal coloration is a key trait for adaptation and speciation.
- Mechanisms of color patterning are less understood than pigment production genetics.
Purpose of the Study:
- Investigate molecular elements regulating regional pigment production in carrion and hooded crows.
- Understand the genetic basis of contrasting eumelanin-based phenotypes in near-identical crow taxa.
Main Methods:
- Genome annotation and transcriptome analysis of feather follicles from different body regions.
- Comparative analysis of gene expression in black carrion crows and grey hooded crows.
Main Results:
- Identified parallel expression differences in melanogenesis genes between head and torso in both crow taxa, suggesting cryptic prepatterning.
- Found limited color-specific gene expression differences (grey vs. black) associated with the transcription factor MITF.
Conclusions:
- Crow color pattern divergence arises from interactions between upstream melanogenesis pathway elements and prepatterning genes.
- Evolutionary stable prepatterns, revealed or masked by regulatory changes, explain recurrent color patterns in vertebrates.
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