Gene expression in female tawny-flanked prinias (Prinia subflava) during egg laying.

Tawny-flanked prinia is a widespread species of open, mesic habitats across sub-saharan Africa. In large parts of their range, they are hosts to the brood parasitic cuckoo finch (Anomalospiza imberbis). Cuckoo finches lay their eggs in the nests of tawny-flanked prinias (among other host species) and have evolved egg mimicry to prevent their eggs being detected by the host parent. In response to this mimicry, prinias are under selection to evolve a huge diversity of egg phenotypes in order to make the task of discriminating their own from foreign eggs easier. An incomplete range of this diversity is in turn mimicked by cuckoo finches, and in this way a coevolutionary arms race ensues. This project is part of an effort to understand the genetic basis of this incredible diversity. It combines genomic and transcriptomic data from tawny-flanked prinias laying a variety of egg phenotypes and will use a genome-wide association approach to highlight genomic loci correlated with egg phenotype diversity in nature. In so doing, it will shed light on the genetic underpinnings of signature-forgery arms races.