Genomic approaches – the backbone
Our primary objective is to identify and characterise genetic variation and detect variation in gene expression patterns or chromatin accessibility between different populations of the same species following different migratory strategies.
Though most of our study species are well described in a behavioural, ecological and evolutionary context, they were thus far not genomically characterised. The first step is a de novo assembled and annotated reference genome for your species of interest, and most of our reference genomes have been assembled as part of the B10K and VGP consortial efforts. Wellcome Sanger Institute compiled a little video on the European robin reference genome highlighting our work to celebrate its 25th Anniversary.
The assembled reference genome forms the backbone of all subsequent genomic work, allowing us to characterise population genetic structure, as well as trait mapping.
Publications
Weissensteiner MJ*, Delmore K*, Peona V, Lugo Ramos JS#, Grégoire A, Blas J, Faivre B, Pokrovsky I, Wikelski M, Partecke J, Liedvogel M (2025) Combining individual-based radio-tracking with whole-genome sequencing data reveals candidate for genetic basis of partial migration in a songbird. Ecology and Evolution (in press)
Meyer B, Moiron M, Caswara C, Chow W, Fedrigo O, Formenti G, Haase B, Howe K, Mountcastle J, Uliano-Silva M, Wood J, Jarvis ED, Liedvogel M*, Bouwhuis S* (2023). Sex-specific changes in autosomal methylation rate in ageing common terns. Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution 11, 982443. doi: 10.3389/fevo.2023.982443
Dunn JC, Liedvogel M, Smith M et al. The genome sequence of the European robin, Erithacus rubecula Linnaeus 1758 [version 1; peer review: 2 approved with reservations]]. Wellcome Open Res 2021, 6:172 (https://doi.org/10.12688/wellcomeopenres.16988.1)
Feng S, Stiller J, (139 authors including Liedvogel M) et al. (2020) Densely sampling genomes across the diversity of birds increases power of comparative genomics analyses. Nature 587, 252-257. doi: 10.1038/s41586-020-2873-9
Delmore KE, Illera JC, Pérez-Tris J, Segelbacher G, Lugo Ramos JS, Durieux G, Ishigohoka J, Liedvogel M (2020) The evolutionary history and genomics of European blackcap migration. eLife. 9, e54462. doi: 10.7554/eLife.54462 (featured in Science: Ash C 2020: Should I stay or should I go? 368, 1202-1203. doi: 10.1126/science.2020.368.6496.twil)
van Doren BM, Campagna S, Helm B, Illera JC, Lovette IJ, Liedvogel M (2017) Correlated patterns of genetic diversity and differentiation across an avian family. Molecular Ecology 26, 3982-3997. doi: 10.1111/mec.14083