The Complete Genome Sequences of 37 Bird Species from the Ecuadorian Andes.

We present the complete genome sequences of 37 Ecuadorian bird species widespread throughout the tropical Andes.

Elevation and landscape change drive the distribution of a montane, endemic grassland bird.

Context: Tropical montane habitats support high biodiversity and are hotspots of endemism, with grasslands being integral components of many such landscapes. The montane grasslands of the Western Ghats have seen extensive land-use change over anthropogenic timescales. The factors influencing the ability of grassland-dependent species to persist in habitats experiencing loss and fragmentation, particularly in montane grasslands, are poorly known.

Digest: A single genetic origin and a role for bone development pathways in repeated losses of flight in steamer ducks.

Is there evidence for convergence in the molecular mechanisms underlying the loss of flight in the avian evolutionary tree? Campagna et al. used genomic data to investigate the genetic basis of flightlessness in steamer ducks, a recently diverged clade that is polymorphic with respect to flight. They found an association between morphological changes related to flightlessness and several genes, one of which is involved in growth and bone development, providing evidence for a single genetic origin for flightlessness.

Sequencing and analysis of the mitochondrial genome of (Squamata: Colubridae).

The complete DNA sequence of the mitochondrial genome of the bullsnake ( sayi) is presented and analyzed in this study. The genome is 17,193 bp in length, and contains 22 transfer RNA genes, 2 ribosomal RNA genes, 13 protein-coding genes and 2 control regions. The overall base composition of the H-strand is A (34.