Meeting Abstract
One of the grand challenges in animal biology is to understand the influence of genes on the development of phenotypic traits. The plumage of birds encompasses a spectacular array of ornaments long appreciated for their beauty, yet we know little about how the color of plumage patches is influenced by genes. In this study we constructed a de novo transcriptome to examine gene expression in developing feathers of a warbler, the common yellowthroat (Geothlypis trichas). This warbler is one of a few species of birds in which a plumage trait, the size of the black facial mask, is known to be sexually selected through female choice. Preliminary analyses indicate that genes related to immunity and oxidative stress (among others) are differentially expressed in the mask of males, compared with feathers from areas of the plumage that are not sexually selected.
