Nature Communications (Nov 2018)

Growth factor gene IGF1 is associated with bill size in the black-bellied seedcracker Pyrenestes ostrinus

  • Bridgett M. vonHoldt,
  • Rebecca Y. Kartzinel,
  • Christian D. Huber,
  • Vinh Le Underwood,
  • Ying Zhen,
  • Kristen Ruegg,
  • Kirk E. Lohmueller,
  • Thomas B. Smith

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-018-07374-9
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 9, no. 1
pp. 1 – 12

Abstract

Read online

Pyrenestes finches have a bill size polymorphism thought to be maintained by disruptive selection. Here, the authors identify a single candidate region, including insulin-like growth factor 1, differentiating small and large bill size morphs and a wider region differentiating the mega-billed morph.