DOI: 10.5061/dryad.fc384rk
title: Data from: Heritability of plumage colour morph variation in a wild population of promiscuous, long-lived Australian magpies

description: Colour polymorphisms have evolutionary significance for the generation and
 maintenance of species diversity. Demonstrating heritability of
 polymorphic traits can be challenging for wild populations of long-lived
 species because accurate information is required on trait expression and
 familial relationships. The Australian magpie Cracticus tibicen has a
 continent-wide distribution featuring several distinct plumage morphs,
 differing primarily in colour of back feathers. Black or white backed
 morphs occur in eastern Australia, with intermediate morphs common in a
 narrow hybrid zone where the two morphs meet. This study investigated
 heritability of back colour phenotypes in a hybrid zone population
 (Seymour, Victoria) based on long-term observational data and DNA samples
 collected over an 18 year period (1993 – 2010). High extra-pair paternity
 (~36% offspring), necessitated verification of parent-offspring
 relationships by parentage analysis. A total of 538 birds (221 parents and
 317 offspring) from 36 territories were analysed. Back colour was a
 continuous trait scored on a five-morph scale in the field (0-4). High and
 consistent estimates of back colour heritability (h2) were obtained via
 weighted midparent regression (h2=0.94) and by animal models (h2=0.92,
 C.I. 0.80-0.99). Single-parent heritability estimates indicated neither
 maternal nor paternal non-genetic effects (e.g. parent body condition)
 played a large role in determining offspring back colour, and
 environmental effects of territory group and cohort contributed little to
 trait heritability. Distinctive back colouration of the Australian magpie
 behaves as a quantitative trait that is likely polygenic, although
 mechanisms responsible for maintaining these geographically structured
 morphs and the hybrid zone where they meet are unknown.
description: HDY-18-AO311
 Microsatellite genotype dataExcel spreadsheet file
 containing genotype scores for eight microsatellite loci used for
 parentage analysis. Column 1 “ind_code” = code number of individual bird;
 Column 2 “territory_code” = code of social territory group to which
 individual bird was a member; Columns 3-18 = allele scores for eight
 microsatellite loci where the two alleles of each locus appear in separate
 columns. Locus names in header: 43, 115b, 115a, 112, 67, 201, 206,
 208.- HDY-18-AO311 Back
 colour morph scoresExcel spreadsheet file
 containing back colour morph scores recorded for individual birds at the
 time they were first trapped and also for all subsequent field
 observations made on that individual. Each row represents data for an
 individual bird. Column 1 “territory_code” = code of social territory
 group to which individual bird was a member; Column 2 “ind_code” = code
 number of individual bird; Column 3 “Notes_when_trapped” = data on age,
 sex and back colour morph score recorded when bird was first trapped and
 banded (**see key below); “Average_back_score” = mean back colour morph
 score across all observations of an individual bird;
 “back_score_when_trapped” = back colour morph score recorded when bird was
 trapped and in the hand; “back_scores_when_sighted” = remaining values in
 row represent back colour morph scores recorded for subsequent field
 observations of that individual. Number of observation vary across
 individuals. **key to “Notes when trapped”: This code contains information
 on age, sex and back colour morph score. The letter represents age and sex
 (if adult) i.e. C = chick; J = juvenile (sometimes recorded as “S”
 subadult); M = adult male; F = adult female. The number represents the
 back colour morph score recorded when bird was trapped and in the hand
 (see Supplementary File 1 for information on back colour morph score
 coding). For example, “C1” means a chick with back colour morph score of
 1.HDY-18-AO311 Back colour
 morph scores for genetically assigned family groupsExcel spreadsheet file
 containing back colour morph scores for family groups where chicks have a
 genetically assigned mother and father. Column 1 “territory_code” = code
 of social territory of family group; Column 2 “parent_midP” = mean back
 colour morph score of mother and father; Column 3 ”mom_BC” = back colour
 morph score of mother; Column 4 “dad_BC” = back colour morph score of
 father; Column 5 “#full_sibs” = number of full sib offspring assigned to
 mother and father combination; Column 6 “chick_BC” = back colour morph
 score of individual chick; Column 7 “mean_sibs_bc” = mean back colour
 morph score across full sibs assigned to mother and father combination;
 Column 8 “sibs_BC_SD” = standard deviation of back colour morph score
 across full sibs assigned to mother and father combination; Column 9
 “unique_identifier” = unique identifier for family
 group.HDY-18-AO311 animal
 model R scriptScript containing R
 commands used for running animal models using R package MCMCglmm. Requires
 libraries: MCMCglmm, pedigree, MasterBayes. Associated input data required
 is in files “pedigreetxt.txt” (see File 5) and “phenotypestxt.txt” (see
 File 6).pedigreetxtText file containing data on pedigree relationships among individual birds used for calculating heritability using animal models (see File 4 animal model R script). This file is required input data for running animal models.phenotypestxtText file containing data for individual birds on back colour morph score “BC”, year of birth i.e. cohort “YEAROFBIRTH”, and territory membership i.e. social group “TERRITORY”. This file is required input data for running animal models (see File 4 animal model R script).