Matteo Sebastianelli, Sifiso M Lukhele, Simona Secomandi, Stacey G de Souza, Bettina Haase, Michaella Moysi, Christos Nikiforou, Alexander Hutfluss, Jacquelyn Mountcastle, Jennifer Balacco, Sarah Pelan, William Chow, Olivier Fedrigo, Colleen T Downs, Ara Monadjem, Niels J Dingemanse, Erich D Jarvis, Alan Brelsford, Bridgett M vonHoldt, Alexander N G Kirschel
Vocal rhythm plays a fundamental role in sexual selection and species recognition in birds, but little is known of its genetic basis due to the confounding effect of vocal learning in model systems. Uncovering its genetic basis could facilitate identifying genes potentially important in speciation. Here we investigate the genomic underpinnings of rhythm in vocal non-learning Pogoniulus tinkerbirds using 135 individual whole genomes distributed across a southern African hybrid zone. We find rhythm speed is associated with two genes that are also known to affect human speech, Neurexin-1 and Coenzyme Q8A...
April 23, 2024: Nature Communications