Gouldian finch head color polymorphism: Genome, WGS and RNA sequencing. Chloebia gouldiae

Here, we investigated the genetic basis of red and black head color in the Gouldian finch (Erythrura gouldiae), a classic polymorphic system in which naturally occurring color morphs also display differences in aggressivity and reproductive success.To identify the causative locus that controls the head-color polymorphism in the Gouldian finch, we generated a reference genome sequence for this species, resequenced the genomes of black and red morph individuals, and used a range of analytic tools to search for genotype-to-phenotype associations across the genome.