Genetic effects on migration behavior contribute to increasing spatial differentiation at trait-associated loci in Estonia

Emerging evidence suggests that migration behavior can be selective with respect to individuals' genotypes, producing genotype-environment correlations that standard methods used in genetic association studies cannot correct. We investigate this phenomenon by examining the spatial dynamics of polygenic scores (PGSs) in Estonia. Our analyses show that contemporary migrations intensify inter-regional differences in PGSs for multiple traits, with educational attainment (EA) PGS showing the strongest effect and largely explaining the inter-regional variation of other PGSs. This differentiation is mainly driven by individuals with higher EA PGS migrating to Estonia's two largest cities from the rest of the country. Importantly, this pattern replicates within families: individuals migrating to the major cities have, on average, higher EA PGS than their siblings staying elsewhere. This trend has persisted since the mid-20th century, despite significant societal changes. These findings illustrate how migration shapes genetic differentiation within a population and highlight direct genetic effects influencing this process.