The copy number variations at genes related to neuronal functions under selection in great tit

The great tit (Parus major) is a well-studied wild bird which has been used as a model species to document the effects of global warming on nature. The recent completion of a reference genome sequence of the great tit and the availability of a high density (HD) 500K SNP-chip, have enabled detailed genomic studies in this species. These genomic tools allowed precise and scalable measures of genetic and non-genetic (i.e. epigenetic marks) variation, identification of SNP variants under selection and copy number variations (CNV).