Species with a circannual life cycle need to match the timing of their life history events to the
environment to maximize fitness. However, our understanding of how circannual traits such …

In seasonal environments, timing of reproduction is a trait with important fitness
consequences, but we know little about the molecular mechanisms that underlie the …

Epigenetic changes associated with early life conditions are known to play a significant role
in shaping the adult phenotype. Studies of DNA methylation in wild animals are lacking, yet …

Background DNA methylation is likely a key mechanism regulating changes in gene
transcription in traits that show temporal fluctuations in response to environmental …

As environmental fluctuations are becoming more common, organisms need to rapidly adapt
to anthropogenic, climatic, and ecological changes. Epigenetic modifications and DNA …

DNA methylation could shape phenotypic responses to environmental cues and underlie
developmental plasticity. Environmentally induced changes in DNA methylation during …

Early developmental conditions are known to have life-long effects on an individual's
behavior, physiology and fitness. In altricial birds, a majority of these conditions, such as the …

Secondary sexual trait expression can be influenced by fixed individual factors (such as
genetic quality) as well as by dynamic factors (such as age and environmentally induced …

Inbreeding depression of chicken reproduction is a major concern in the conservation of
chicken genetic resources. To investigate the potential DNA methylation sites involved in the …

Regulation of gene expression can occur via epigenetic effects as mediated by DNA
methylation. The potential for epigenetic effects to be transmitted across generations, thus …