Birds of a feather flock together—A compilation of data for two candidate genes for migration genetics

Birds with seasonal shifts in ecological attributes of their habitat have evolved complex strategies to maximize energy efficiency and survival through seasonal migrations. Their annual life cycle is heavily reliant on timing and duration of migration, which are regulated by photoperiod. Studies have explored genetic components that affect intrinsic time keeping mechanisms, including genes of the circadian clock, have yielded conflicting evidence for an association. A systematic review was conducted to clarify the role of these genes in migratory phenotypes. The review included 66 studies, 34 of which were candidate gene studies and 32 migration-related studies. During the review process, data was collected on clock gene alleles and frequencies to enable a cross-taxa analysis. This dataset included data from 52 species, with 46 species for the Clock gene and 43 species for the Adcyap1 gene. With data for more than 8000 birds, this dataset represents the largest collection of cross-species data for candidate genes, generated to test a putative association between clock gene polymorphisms and divergent migration in seasonal birds.