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Abstract:
Across a range of organisms, related species or even
populations of the same species exhibit strikingly different
scales and patterns of movement. A significant proportion
of the phenotypic variance in migratory traits is
genetic, but the genes involved in shaping these phenotypes
are still unknown. Although recent achievements
in genomics will evolve migratory genetics
research from a phenotypic to a molecular approach,
fully sequenced and annotated genomes of migratory
species are still lacking. Consequently, many of the
genes involved in migration are unavailable as candidates.
Migration is central to the life-history adaptations
of many animals. Here, we review current understanding
of the genetic architecture of migratory traits and discuss
the significant implications this will have for other
areas of biology, including population responses to climate
change, speciation and conservation management.
