A window on the genetics of evolution: MC1R and plumage colouration in birds
Melanins are a ubiquitous component of plumage colouration in birds and serve a wide variety of functions. Although the genetic control of melanism has been studied in chickens and other domestic species, little was known about the molecular genetics of melanin distribution in wild birds until recen...
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Online Access: | http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1559852 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16087416 https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2005.3107 |
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ftpubmed:oai:pubmedcentral.nih.gov:1559852 2023-05-15T15:03:14+02:00 A window on the genetics of evolution: MC1R and plumage colouration in birds Mundy, Nicholas I 2005-07-14 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1559852 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16087416 https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2005.3107 en eng The Royal Society http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1559852 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16087416 http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2005.3107 © 2005 The Royal Society Review Text 2005 ftpubmed https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2005.3107 2013-08-31T06:18:25Z Melanins are a ubiquitous component of plumage colouration in birds and serve a wide variety of functions. Although the genetic control of melanism has been studied in chickens and other domestic species, little was known about the molecular genetics of melanin distribution in wild birds until recently. Studies have now revealed that a single locus, the melanocortin-1 receptor (MC1R) locus, is responsible for melanic polymorphisms in at least three unrelated species: the bananaquit, the snow goose and the arctic skua. Results show that melanism was a derived trait and allow other evolutionary inferences about the history of melanism to be made. The role of MC1R in plumage patterning is surprisingly diverse among different species. The conserved molecular basis for the evolution of melanism in birds and several other vertebrates is probably related to low pleiotropic effects at the MC1R. Text Arctic Arctic skua PubMed Central (PMC) Arctic Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 272 1573 1633 1640 |
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Review Mundy, Nicholas I A window on the genetics of evolution: MC1R and plumage colouration in birds |
topic_facet |
Review |
description |
Melanins are a ubiquitous component of plumage colouration in birds and serve a wide variety of functions. Although the genetic control of melanism has been studied in chickens and other domestic species, little was known about the molecular genetics of melanin distribution in wild birds until recently. Studies have now revealed that a single locus, the melanocortin-1 receptor (MC1R) locus, is responsible for melanic polymorphisms in at least three unrelated species: the bananaquit, the snow goose and the arctic skua. Results show that melanism was a derived trait and allow other evolutionary inferences about the history of melanism to be made. The role of MC1R in plumage patterning is surprisingly diverse among different species. The conserved molecular basis for the evolution of melanism in birds and several other vertebrates is probably related to low pleiotropic effects at the MC1R. |
format |
Text |
author |
Mundy, Nicholas I |
author_facet |
Mundy, Nicholas I |
author_sort |
Mundy, Nicholas I |
title |
A window on the genetics of evolution: MC1R and plumage colouration in birds |
title_short |
A window on the genetics of evolution: MC1R and plumage colouration in birds |
title_full |
A window on the genetics of evolution: MC1R and plumage colouration in birds |
title_fullStr |
A window on the genetics of evolution: MC1R and plumage colouration in birds |
title_full_unstemmed |
A window on the genetics of evolution: MC1R and plumage colouration in birds |
title_sort |
window on the genetics of evolution: mc1r and plumage colouration in birds |
publisher |
The Royal Society |
publishDate |
2005 |
url |
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1559852 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16087416 https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2005.3107 |
geographic |
Arctic |
geographic_facet |
Arctic |
genre |
Arctic Arctic skua |
genre_facet |
Arctic Arctic skua |
op_relation |
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1559852 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16087416 http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2005.3107 |
op_rights |
© 2005 The Royal Society |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2005.3107 |
container_title |
Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences |
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272 |
container_issue |
1573 |
container_start_page |
1633 |
op_container_end_page |
1640 |
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1766335110390480896 |