Picky penguins: Does mate choice depend on genes that help resist disease?

Magellanic penguins have a high level of variation in genes associated with the ability to fight infectious disease, but a recent study found that the mechanism the penguins use to ensure that diversity is far from black and white. A recent study tested whether the significant diversity in the Major Histocompatibility Complex genome region observed in these birds is attributable to mate choice or genetic selection based on disease exposure.

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