Journal ArticleDOI
A DNA test to sex most birds
TLDR
A test based on two conserved CHD (chromo‐helicase‐DNA‐binding) genes that are located on the avian sex chromosomes of all birds, with the possible exception of the ratites (ostriches, etc.; Struthioniformes).Abstract:
Birds are difficult to sex. Nestlings rarely show sex-linked morphology and we estimate that adult females appear identical to males in over 50% of the world's bird species. This problem can hinder both evolutionary studies and human-assisted breeding of birds. DNA-based sex identification provides a solution. We describe a test based on two conserved CHD (chromo-helicase-DNA-binding) genes that are located on the avian sex chromosomes of all birds, with the possible exception of the ratites (ostriches, etc.; Struthioniformes). The CHD-W gene is located on the W chromosome; therefore it is unique to females. The other gene, CHD-Z, is found on the Z chromosome and therefore occurs in both sexes (female, ZW; male, ZZ). The test employs PCR with a single set of primers. It amplifies homologous sections of both genes and incorporates introns whose lengths usually differ. When examined on a gel there is a single CHD-Z band in males but females have a second, distinctive CHD-W band.read more
Citations
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MCMC Methods for Multi-Response Generalized Linear Mixed Models: The MCMCglmm R Package
TL;DR: The R package MCMCglmm implements Markov chain Monte Carlo methods for generalized linear mixed models, which provide a flexible framework for modeling a range of data, although with non-Gaussian response variables the likelihood cannot be obtained in closed form.
Journal ArticleDOI
A simple and universal method for molecular sexing of non-ratite birds
TL;DR: A universal method for molecular sexing of non-ratite birds which is based on the detection of a constant size difference between CHD1W andCHD1Z introns is described, successfully sexing 47 of the species.
Journal ArticleDOI
Advanced techniques for modeling avian nest survival
TL;DR: The nest survival model now available in the program MARK is introduced and its use is demonstrated on a nesting study of Mountain Plovers (Charadrius montanus Townsend) in Montana, USA.
Journal ArticleDOI
Comparative genomics reveals insights into avian genome evolution and adaptation.
Guojie Zhang,Guojie Zhang,Cai Li,Qiye Li,Bo Li,Denis M. Larkin,Chul Hee Lee,Jay F. Storz,Agostinho Antunes,Matthew J. Greenwold,Robert W. Meredith,Anders Ödeen,Jie Cui,Qi Zhou,Luohao Xu,Hailin Pan,Zongji Wang,Lijun Jin,Pei Zhang,Haofu Hu,Wei Yang,Jiang Hu,Jin Xiao,Zhikai Yang,Yang Liu,Qiaolin Xie,Hao Yu,Jinmin Lian,Ping Wen,Fang Zhang,Hui Li,Yongli Zeng,Zijun Xiong,Shiping Liu,Long Zhou,Zhiyong Huang,Na An,Jie Wang,Qiumei Zheng,Yingqi Xiong,Guangbiao Wang,Bo Wang,Jingjing Wang,Yu Fan,Rute R. da Fonseca,Alonzo Alfaro-Núñez,Mikkel Schubert,Ludovic Orlando,Tobias Mourier,Jason T. Howard,Ganeshkumar Ganapathy,Andreas R. Pfenning,Osceola Whitney,Miriam V. Rivas,Erina Hara,Julia Smith,Marta Farré,Jitendra Narayan,Gancho T. Slavov,Michael N Romanov,Rui Borges,João Paulo Machado,Imran Khan,Mark S. Springer,John Gatesy,Federico G. Hoffmann,Juan C. Opazo,Olle Håstad,Roger H. Sawyer,Heebal Kim,Kyu-Won Kim,Hyeon Jeong Kim,Seoae Cho,Ning Li,Yinhua Huang,Michael William Bruford,Xiangjiang Zhan,Andrew Dixon,Mads F. Bertelsen,Elizabeth P. Derryberry,Wesley C. Warren,Richard K. Wilson,Shengbin Li,David A. Ray,Richard E. Green,Stephen J. O'Brien,Darren K. Griffin,Warren E. Johnson,David Haussler,Oliver A. Ryder,Eske Willerslev,Gary R. Graves,Per Alström,Jon Fjeldså,David P. Mindell,Scott V. Edwards,Edward L. Braun,Carsten Rahbek,David W. Burt,Peter Houde,Yong Zhang,Huanming Yang,Jian Wang,Erich D. Jarvis,M. Thomas P. Gilbert,M. Thomas P. Gilbert,Jun Wang +106 more
TL;DR: This work explored bird macroevolution using full genomes from 48 avian species representing all major extant clades to reveal that pan-avian genomic diversity covaries with adaptations to different lifestyles and convergent evolution of traits.
Journal ArticleDOI
Repeatability and heritability of exploratory behaviour in great tits from the wild
TL;DR: It is concluded that consistent individual variation in open field behaviour exists in individuals from the wild, and this behavioural variation is heritable and poses the question of how this variation is maintained under natural conditions.
References
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Journal ArticleDOI
Sex identification in birds using two CHD genes
TL;DR: The discovery of a W-linked gene in the Great tit (Parus major) is described, it is named CHD-W (chromodomain-helicase-DNA-binding protein W- linked), it is highly conserved and it is W-chromosome linked in a range of bird species.
Journal ArticleDOI
First Gene on the Avian W Chromosome (CHD) Provides a Tag for Universal Sexing of Non-Ratite Birds
TL;DR: The isolation of a chicken homologue to the mouse chromo-helicase-DNA binding (CHD) gene which encodes a protein involved in global regulation of transcriptional activation on the chromatin level is described.
Journal ArticleDOI
A Classification of the Living Birds of the World Based on Dna-Dna Hybridization Studies
Journal ArticleDOI
A mammalian DNA-binding protein that contains a chromodomain and an SNF2/SWI2-like helicase domain.
TL;DR: Two overlapping cDNAs that encode a 197-kDa sequence-selective DNA-binding protein were isolated from libraries derived from mouse lymphoid cell mRNA, which contains both a chromodomain and an SNF2/SWI2-like helicase domain, and is suspected to play an important role in gene regulation.