Open AccessComparative genomics provides insights into the aquatic adaptations of mammals
Author(s) -
Yuan Yuan,
Yaolei Zhang,
Peijun Zhang,
Chang Liu,
Jiahao Wang,
Hongyu Gao,
A. Rus Hoelzel,
Inge Seim,
Meiqi Lv,
Mingli Lin,
Lijun Dong,
Haoyang Gao,
Zixin Yang,
Francesco Caruso,
Wenzhi Lin,
Rute R. da Fonseca,
Ding Wang,
Xianyan Wang,
Marianne H. Rasmussen,
Mingming Liu,
Jinsong Zheng,
Ludan Zhao,
Paula F. Campos,
Hui Kang,
Maria Iversen,
Yue Song,
Xinyu Guo,
Jiao Guo,
Yating Qin,
Shanshan Pan,
Qiwu Xu,
Lingfeng Meng,
A Yunga,
Shanshan Liu,
Simon MingYuen Lee,
Xin Liu,
Xun Xu,
Huanming Yang,
Guangyi Fan,
Kun Wang,
Songhai Li
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
proceedings of the national academy of sciences of the united states of america
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 5.011
H-Index - 771
eISSN - 1091-6490
pISSN - 0027-8424
DOI - 10.1073/pnas.2106080118
Subject(s) - marine mammal , biology , mammal , convergent evolution , lineage (genetic) , evolutionary biology , genomics , population , ecology , genome , zoology , phylogenetics , gene , genetics , demography , sociology
Significance Divergent lineages can respond to common environmental factors through convergent processes involving shared genomic components or pathways, but the molecular mechanisms are poorly understood. Here, we provide genomic resources and insights into the evolution of mammalian lineages adapting to aquatic life. Our data suggest convergent evolution, for example, in association with thermoregulation through genes associated with a surface heat barrier (NFIA ) and internal heat exchange (SEMA3E ). Combined with the support of previous reports showing that the UCP1 locus has been lost in many marine mammals independently, our results suggest that the thermostatic strategy of marine mammals shifted from enhancing heat production to limiting heat loss.