Find research datasets worth reusing
Search datasets from major research repositories and use ShareScore to quickly assess how well each record supports discovery, access, and reuse.
82
datasets available to search
ShareScore release 0.7.1
Dataset results
82 results for “Parus major”
Fenology dataset of the great tits (Parus major) from Sagunto (Spain)
<p>Fenology dataset of the individuals of great tits (Parus major) breeding in Sagunto (eastern Spain).</p>
Data from: Natural singing interactions in Parus major
<p><span>Eavesdropping on interactions between conspecific animals provides a low-cost method for assessing other individuals. Asymmetries in territorial counter-singing interactions in songbirds provide a rich source of information for eavesdroppers about differences between the singers. Yet, little is known about the relationship between interactive singing in a natural, low-arousal context among territorial neighbours and individual traits of males. We used a microphone array to monitor natural counter-singing interactions in great tits (<em>Parus major</em>) during nest building, at the onset of the breeding season. We quantified song overlapping and song matching for 30 pairs (dyads) of interacting males, singing at their nest, respectively. We then compared these behaviours to five traits for 28 males: body condition, plumage ornamentation, offspring provisioning behaviour, offspring weight, and breeding site quality. We found no relationship between a male song overlapping or matching behaviour and any of the measured traits. Therefore, our results do not support the idea that short-term asymmetries in low-arousal long-range singing interactions among neighbours reflect differences in these fitness-related traits. Instead, our findings suggest that such singing asymmetries have less signal value in the absence of an immediate conflict but instead reflect short-term motivational differences, as shown in previous investigations.</span></p>
Female great tits (Parus major) reproduce earlier when paired with a male they prefer
<p><span>Mate choice is a key component of reproductive biology. Females often prefer certain males but do females modulate their reproductive investment depending on whether they are mated with their preferred partner? We investigated this question in great tits (<em>Parus</em> <em>major</em>) where we subjected 36 females to a six-choice mate preference test. Male morphological traits and the female's own characteristics did not influence the preference females expressed. We did find that females spent significantly more time near more exploratory males. We then paired them with one of the males in aviaries and subsequently monitored their reproductive investment (through measurement of plasma 17β-oestradiol concentrations, first egg date, clutch size, and egg size). Females that were mated with a male for which they had a strong preference laid their first clutch significantly earlier in the season than females paired with a male they less preferred. Our results show that mate preference influences reproductive investment in great tits, thereby linking mate choice to bird reproductive decisions. </span></p>
The genomics of adaptation to climate in European great tit (Parus major) populations
<p><span>The recognition that climate change is occurring at an unprecedented rate means that there is increased urgency in understanding how organisms can adapt to a changing environment. Wild great tit (<em>Parus</em> <em>major</em>) populations represent an attractive ecological model system to understand the genomics of climate adaptation. They are widely distributed across Eurasia and they have been documented to respond to climate change. We performed a Bayesian genome-environment analysis, by combining local climate data with SNP genotype data from 20 European populations (broadly spanning the species' continental range). We found 36 unique putative climate adaptation genes that were associated with variation in climate. Following an enrichment analysis of biological process Gene Ontology (GO) terms, we identified over-represented terms and pathways among the genes putatively under selection for climate adaptation. Because many different genes and GO terms are associated with climate variables, it seems likely that climate adaptation is polygenic and genetically complex. Our findings also suggest that geographical climate adaptation has been occurring since great tits left their Southern European refugia at the end of the last ice age. Finally, we show that substantial climate-associated genetic variation remains, which will be essential for adaptation to future changes.</span></p>
Data for: Strong phenotypic trait correlations between mating partners do not result from assortative mating in wild great tits (Parus major)
Open the record for dataset details and reuse information.
Female great tits (Parus major) reproduce earlier when paired with a male they prefer
Open the record for dataset details and reuse information.
Data and code from: Decision-making in the wild: Urgency and complexity drive feeding decision speed and the likelihood of revising a choice in a sex-dependent manner in great tit (<em>Parus major</em>) parents
Open the record for dataset details and reuse information.
Color of artificial light at night affects incubation behavior in the great tit, Parus major
Open the record for dataset details and reuse information.
Recent natural variability in global warming weakened phenological mismatch and selection on seasonal timing in great tits (Parus major)
Open the record for dataset details and reuse information.
Data from: Natural singing interactions in Parus major
Open the record for dataset details and reuse information.
List of known SNP positions (based on SNP chip data) for base quality score recalibration of alignments for whole-genome resequencing and whole-genome bisulfite sequencing data from great tits (Parus major)
Open the record for dataset details and reuse information.
The genomics of adaptation to climate in European great tit (Parus major) populations
Open the record for dataset details and reuse information.
Data from: Genomic dissection of variation in clutch size and egg mass in a wild great tit (Parus major) population
Clutch size and egg mass are life history traits that have been extensively studied in wild bird populations, as life history theory predicts a negative trade-off between them, either at the phenotypic or genetic level. Here, we analyse the genomic architecture of these heritable traits in a wild great tit (Parus major) population, using three marker-based approaches - chromosome partitioning, quantitative trait locus (QTL) mapping and a genome-wide association study (GWAS). The variance explained by each great tit chromosome scales with predicted chromosome size, no location in the genome contains genome-wide significant QTL, and no individual SNPs are associated with a large proportion of phenotypic variation, all of which may suggest that variation in both traits is due to many loci of small effect, located across the genome. There is no evidence that any regions of the genome contribute significantly to both traits, which combined with a small, non-significant, negative genetic covariance between the traits, suggests the absence of genetic constraints on the independent evolution of these traits. Our findings support the hypothesis that variation in life history traits in natural populations is likely to be determined by many loci of small effect spread throughout the genome, which are subject to continued input of variation by mutation and migration, although we cannot exclude the possibility of an additional input of major effect genes influencing either trait.
Data from: Between- and within-individual variation of maternal thyroid hormone deposition in wild great tits (Parus major)
Maternal hormones are often considered a mediator of anticipatory maternal effects, namely mothers adjust maternal hormone transfer to prepare the offspring for the anticipated environment. The flexibility for mothers to adjust hormone transfer is therefore a prerequisite for such anticipatory maternal effects. Nevertheless, previous studies have only focused on the average differences of maternal hormone transfer between groups and neglected the substantial individual variation, despite that individual plasticity in maternal hormone transfer is actually the central assumption. In this study, we studied the between- and within-individual variation of maternal thyroid hormones (THs) in egg yolk of wild great tits (Parus major) and estimated the individual plasticity of maternal yolk THs across environmental temperature, clutch initiation dates and egg laying order using linear mixed-effects models. Interestingly, our models provide statistical evidence that the two main THs – the main biologically active hormone T3, and T4, which is mostly considered as a prohormone – exhibited different variation patterns. Yolk T3 showed significant between-individual variation on the average levels, in line with its previously reported moderate heritability. Yolk T4, however, showed significant between-clutch variation in the pattern over the laying sequence, suggesting a great within-individual plasticity. Our findings suggest that the role and function of the hormone within the endocrine axis likely influences its flexibility to respond to environmental change. Whether the flexibility of T4 deposition brings fitness advantage should be examined along with its potential effects on offspring, which remains to be further investigated.
Data from: The relationship between plumage colouration, problem-solving and learning performance in great tits Parus major
Recent studies suggest that individuals with better problem-solving and/or learning performance have greater reproductive success, and that individuals may thus benefit from choosing mates based on these performances. However, directly assessing these performances in candidate mates could be difficult. Instead, the use of indirect cues related to problem-solving and/or learning performance, such as condition-dependent phenotypic traits, might be favored. We investigated whether problem-solving and learning performance on a novel non-foraging task correlated with sexually selected plumage colouration in a natural population of great tits Parus major. We found that males successful in solving the task had darker blue-black crowns than non-solvers, and that males solving the task more rapidly over multiple attempts (i.e. learners) exhibited blue-black crowns with higher UV chroma and shorter-wavelength hues than non-learners. In contrast, we found no link between behavioural performance on the task and the yellow breast colouration in either sex. Our findings suggest that blue-black crown colouration could serve as a signal of problem-solving and learning performance in wild great tit males. Further research remains necessary to determine whether different sexually selected traits are used to signal cognitive performance for mate choice, either directly (i.e. cognitive performance influencing individual's health and ornamentation through diet for example) or indirectly (i.e. due to a correlation with a third factor such as individual quality or condition).
Data from: A high density SNP chip for genotyping great tit (Parus major) populations and its application to studying the genetic architecture of exploration behaviour
High density SNP microarrays ('SNP chips') are a rapid, accurate and efficient method for genotyping several hundred thousand polymorphisms in large numbers of individuals. While SNP chips are routinely used in human genetics and in animal and plant breeding, they are less widely used in evolutionary and ecological research. In this paper we describe the development and application of a high density Affymetrix Axiom chip with around 500 000 SNPs, designed to perform genomics studies of great tit (Parus major) populations. We demonstrate that the per-SNP genotype error rate is well below 1% and that the chip can also be used to identify structural or copy number variation (CNVs). The chip is used to explore the genetic architecture of exploration behaviour (EB), a personality trait that has been widely studied in great tits and other species. No SNPs reached genome-wide significance, including at DRD4, a candidate gene. However, EB is heritable and appears to have a polygenic architecture. Researchers developing similar SNP chips may note: (i) SNPs previously typed on alternative platforms are more likely to be converted to working assays, (ii) detecting SNPs by more than one pipeline, and in independent datasets, ensures a high proportion of working assays, (iii) allele frequency ascertainment bias is minimised by performing SNP discovery in individuals from multiple populations and (iv) samples with the lowest call rates tend to also have the greatest genotyping error rates.
Data from: Haplotype structure, adaptive history and associations with exploratory behaviour of the DRD4 gene region in four great tit (Parus major) populations
The assessment of genetic architecture and selection history in genes for behavioural traits is fundamental to our understanding of how these traits evolve. The dopamine receptor D4 (DRD4) gene is a prime candidate for explaining genetic variation in novelty seeking behaviour, a commonly assayed personality trait in animals. Previously we showed that a single nucleotide polymorphism in exon 3 of this gene is associated with exploratory behaviour in at least one of four Western European great tit (Parus major) populations. These heterogeneous association results were explained by potential variable linkage disequilibrium (LD) patterns between this marker and the causal variant or by other genetic or environmental differences among the populations. Different adaptive histories are further hypothesized to have contributed to these population differences. Here, we genotyped 98 polymorphisms of the complete DRD4 gene including the flanking regions for 595 individuals of the four populations. We show that the LD structure, specifically around the original exon 3 SNP is conserved across the four populations and does not explain the heterogeneous association results. Study-wide significant associations with exploratory behaviour were detected in more than one haplotype block around exon 2, 3 and 4 in two of the four tested populations with different allele effect models. This indicates genetic heterogeneity in the association between multiple DRD4 polymorphisms and exploratory behaviour across populations. The association signals were in or close to regions with signatures of positive selection. We therefore hypothesize that variation in exploratory and other dopamine-related behaviour evolves locally by occasional adaptive shifts in the frequency of underlying genetic variants.
Data from: Sea buckthorn berries (Hippophae rhamnoides L.) predict size and composition of a great tit population (Parus major L.).
In seasonal environments variation in food abundance in the non-breeding season is thought to affect songbird population dynamics. In a unique tit-sea buckthorn berry system we can estimate the berry abundance and both the tit consumption and population dynamics. Six hundred nest boxes were available to great and blue tits (Cyanistes caeruleus) for breeding in spring and roosting in winter. We followed the dynamics including the recapture histories of individually marked great tits from 2008-2013. In each year we estimated 1) the winter sea buckthorn berry availability, 2) an index of berry consumption in December based on the colour of the faeces of roosting birds, 3) the number of breeding great and blue tits, 4) both recapture probability and the return rate of the great tits and 5) immigration rates. December berry abundance positively predicted the number of breeding pairs of both species in the subsequent season and great tit return rates in the second half of the winter. There was support for a sex specific berry effect on the adult return rate in the great tit: female return rate was associated less strongly to berry abundance than male return rate. This skewed the sex ratio of the local breeders in the following breeding season. Intriguingly, annual berry consumption in December was not related to berry abundance, and individuals consuming more berries tended to have slightly lower return rates. Reproductive rate was not related to berry abundance. There was hardly support for a relation between immigration rates of first year breeders and berry abundance. Taken together these results imply that berry stock not only affected population size but also the population composition through sex specific exchange with the surroundings. Since population density covaried with berry abundance, density dependent effects provide an alternative explanation for the patterns observed.
Data from: Sources of (co)variation in alternative siring routes available to male great tits (Parus major)
Males of socially monogamous species can increase their siring success via within-pair and extra-pair fertilizations. In this study, we focused on the different sources of (co)variation between these siring routes, and asked how each contributes to total siring success. We quantified the fertilization routes to siring success, as well as behaviors that have been hypothesized to affect siring success, over a five-year period for a wild population of great tits Parus major. We considered siring success and its fertilization routes as "interactive phenotypes" arising from phenotypic contributions of both members of the social pair. We show that siring success is strongly affected by the fecundity of the social (female) partner. We also demonstrate that a strong positive correlation between extra-pair fertilization success and paternity loss likely constrains the evolution of these two routes. Moreover, we show that more explorative and aggressive males had less extra-pair fertilizations, whereas more explorative females laid larger clutches. This study thus demonstrates that (co)variation in siring routes is caused by multiple factors not necessarily related to characteristics of males. We thereby highlight the importance of acknowledging the multi-level structure of male fertilization routes when studying the evolution of male mating strategies.
Data from: Innovative females are more promiscuous in great tits (Parus major)
Individual variation in the propensity to express innovative behaviors is increasingly recognized as ecologically and evolutionary significant. A growing number of studies show that more innovative individuals can realize higher breeding success, indicating that innovativeness may be important in mating decisions. Here we investigated whether male and female performance in innovative problem-solving tasks is linked to sexual selection via extra-pair mating behavior. We observed the problem-solving success of great tit (Parus major) pairs in 2 tasks at the nest, and related it to the occurrence of extra-pair paternity (EPP) in their broods. In a food-acquisition task, we found no difference in EPP among pairs in which the male solved, pairs in which the female solved, and unsuccessful pairs. In an obstacle-removal task that was solved almost exclusively by females, EPP was more frequent in broods of solver females than in broods of unsuccessful females. These results do not support the hypothesis that the social male's innovativeness influences the female's extra-pair mating behavior. Instead, they suggest that the female's infidelity covaries positively with her innovativeness. Furthermore, EPP was related to both parents' neophobia such that pairs of highly neophobic individuals were less likely to have EPP than pairs that contained at least one individual with low neophobia. These findings indicate that promiscuity is associated with certain behavioral phenotypes, suggesting that both innovativeness and novelty seeking may facilitate the investment into and/or the exposure to extra-pair mating attempts.
ScienceDex guides
Understand access before you commit
These curated guides explain access requirements, typical timelines, costs, and reuse considerations for widely used research datasets.
Allen Brain Atlas
Allen Brain Atlas is an Allen Institute collection of brain map atlases, datasets, APIs, and analysis tools covering mouse, human, and non-human primate brain resources.
Annotated Behaviour and Observability Dataset (ABODe)
ABODe is a University of Edinburgh DataShare dataset for behavior classification in group-housed mice using home-cage video, identities, bounding boxes, ground-plate positions, and annotator labels.
DANDI Archive for NWB datasets
DANDI is a BRAIN Initiative archive for publishing and sharing neurophysiology data, including electrophysiology, optophysiology, and behavioral data packaged as NWB and related standards.
International Brain Laboratory public data
The International Brain Laboratory public data releases expose standardized mouse decision-making experiments, including Neuropixels recordings, widefield calcium imaging, behavior, and session metadata accessed through the ONE API.
OpenNeuro
OpenNeuro is a free, open platform for sharing neuroimaging datasets, with public search, dataset pages, and download paths for web, S3, DataLad, and the OpenNeuro CLI.