Genetics of migration – perspectives and challenges

In a diversity of organisms, closely related species, or even various populations of the same species exhibit strikingly different migratory behaviours, spanning from intercontinental movements to complete residency. We know that a significant proportion of phenotypic variance in migratory traits has a genetic basis, and migratory traits are under strong selection and can change within few generations.

But we still don't understand which genes are responsible for variable expression of specific migratory traits, such as migratory direction, timing and migratory distance? How many genes are involved in variation of migratory strategies? What is the magnitude of their effects?

Given the revolutionary technological achievements in the field of genomics, we think that this can be a turning point for the field, and finally allow us to evolve migratory genetics from phenotypic to molecular approaches enabling us to incorporate genetic architecture into our understanding of migratory traits.

Thus, we thought this is a great time to synthesise and review the state-of-the art in the field in an opinion paper (doi:10.1016/j.tree.2011.07.009).


Our review covers a diverse range of taxa (sketching key studies currently carried out in insects, fish and birds) with focus on different technical aspects, experimental paradigms, and presents the various methodological approaches ready to be applied to study migration in order to make major advances in this research field.

We hope that this paper will contribute to providing the necessary forum to enhance discussion in this newly emerging field, encourage interdisciplinary dialogue, foster collaborations and promote debate.

Very welcome to a new CAnMove Postdoc on genetics of migration in willow warblers

Migratory birds are superb navigators. How do they find their way? My research is driven by my major interest in avian biology, particularly the phenomenon of bird migration, aiming to link phenotypic traits to their underlying molecular mechanisms.

How can migratory birds perceive directional information from the Earth's magnetic field and how do they process and integrate this information to use it for compass orientation during their migratory journeys? These were the main questions I focussed on during my PhD, combining experiments on the behavioural, molecular as well as cognitive level. As a Marie-Curie fellow, I extended this general integrative approach into a field situation, though in a different biological context, focussing on the evolutionary genetics of the timing of reproduction in wild bird populations. Here I moved from characterising the genetic variation of candidate genes through determining whether there are any associations with the phenotypes of the birds and the environments where these individuals live, to measuring the selective consequences of that genetic variation.

I am very much looking forward to working on the "Genetics of migration in willow warblers" at the CAnMove center in Lund, a project that transfers the framework and methodology I learned during my postdoctoral period into the field of bird migration that I worked on during my PhD time to which the evolutionary genetics and genomics approaches of the modern era just start getting applied to. /Miriam

Very welcome also to Miriam Liedvogel who will work as a postdoc on genetics of migration in willow warblers together with Staffan Bensch and Susanne Åkesson. We are all much looking forward to the arrival of all Postdocs this autumn and wish you all very welcome to Lund!

Have a nice summer!
Susanne