Mimus melanotis isolate:SK5 Genome sequencing

The Galapagos mockingbirds are a group of four endemic species, three of which are restricted to a single island each (Mimus melanotis of San Cristobal, M. trifasciatus of Floreana and M. macdonaldi of Espanola), while the fourth species (M. parvulus) is widely distributed occupying most area of the archipelago. Previous studies have shown that these four species come from a single common ancestor about 3 MYA, being one of the oldest known colonization for land-birds in the archipelago. The morphological and molecular analyses carried out to date on this system have been inconclusive and insufficient to determine different aspects of its evolution and population structures. We aim to use a new approach based on genomics as a tool to unveil the evolutionary history, current species/population status, and their adaptations.