Data from: Age and quality-dependent DNA methylation correlate with melanin-based colouration in a wild bird

Secondary sexual trait expression can be influenced by fixed individual factors (such as genetic quality) but also by dynamic factors (such as age and environmentally induced gene expression) that may be associated with variation in condition or quality. In particular, melanin-based traits are known to relate to condition and there is a well-characterized genetic pathway underpinning their expression. However, the mechanisms linking variable trait expression to genetic quality remain unclear. One plausible mechanism is that genetic quality could influence trait expression via differential methylation and differential gene expression. We therefore conducted a pilot study examining DNA methyl…