Genomic basis of migration

In contrast to other migratory model systems where migratory traits vary continuously, the beauty of partial migration is the clear-cut behavioral dichotomy of migrant versus resident phenotypes, making it a powerful model system to study the genomic basis of migration. We performed transcriptomic analyses and detected four differentially expressed genes between migrants and residents, which may play crucial roles in determining the decision to migrate or control physiological processes required for migration. In a follow-up study, we search for genomic differences related to resident and migrant phenotypes.