Meeting Abstract
Disruptive natural selection can drive the evolution of alternative phenotypes, or “morphs”, within one or both sexes. The morphs, so named because they differ with respect to a morphological trait such as coloration, often differ also with respect to behaviors such as courtship, territoriality, and parenting. In white-throated sparrows (Zonotrichia albicollis), birds of the white stripe (WS) morph engage in a more territorial, competitive strategy, whereas birds of the tan stripe (TS) morph assume a more parental strategy. These alternative phenotypes are genetically fixed in that they segregate with a chromosomal rearrangement present only in the WS birds. The rearrangement, or “supergene”, contains differentiated genes known to contribute to territoriality and parenting, making this species an excellent model for studying how changes in gene sequence can ultimately cause changes in behavior. In this talk I will present highlights from our research in which we combine the fields of genomics, molecular biology, neuroscience, and field endocrinology to understand the evolution of behavioral phenotypes.
