Publications by authors named "J Gatesy"
Objectives: The new data provide an important genomic resource for the Critically Endangered Cuban crocodile (Crocodylus rhombifer). Cuban crocodiles are restricted to the Zapata Swamp in southern Matanzas Province, Cuba, and readily hybridize with the widespread American crocodile (Crocodylus acutus) in areas of sympatry. The reported de novo assembly will contribute to studies of crocodylian evolutionary history and provide a resource for informing Cuban crocodile conservation.
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- The study investigates the genetic and brain features linked to vocal learning in mammals by comparing data from the Egyptian fruit bat and 215 other placental mammals.* -
- Researchers found that certain proteins evolve more slowly in vocal learners and identified a specific brain region responsible for vocal motor control in the Egyptian fruit bat.* -
- Using machine learning, they uncovered 50 regulatory elements that are associated with vocal learning, suggesting that losses in these elements played a role in the evolution of vocal learning in mammals.*
Article Synopsis
- Toothed whales (Odontoceti) display a range of tooth and enamel types linked to their feeding habits, from complete teeth in dolphins to enamel-less teeth in some beaked whales.
- Previous research found mutations in genes responsible for enamel production in odontocetes, but the relationship between enamel complexity and genetic selection pressure remains unclear.
- This study analyzed enamel-specific gene sequences in 62 odontocete species, revealing fewer inactivating mutations in species with complex enamel, while those with simpler enamel exhibited higher mutation rates.