Publications by authors named "J STORER"

Great apes have maintained a stable karyotype with few large-scale rearrangements; in contrast, gibbons have undergone a high rate of chromosomal rearrangements coincident with rapid centromere turnover. Here we characterize assembled centromeres in the Eastern hoolock gibbon, (HLE), finding a diverse group of transposable elements (TEs) that differ from the canonical alpha satellites found across centromeres of other apes. We find that HLE centromeres contain a CpG methylation centromere dip region, providing evidence this epigenetic feature is conserved in the absence of satellite arrays; nevertheless, we report a variety of atypical centromeric features, including protein-coding genes and mismatched replication timing.

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Article Synopsis
  • The study presents detailed genomes of six ape species, achieving high accuracy and complete sequencing of all their chromosomes.
  • It addresses complex genomic regions, leading to enhanced understanding of evolutionary relationships among these species.
  • The findings will serve as a crucial resource for future research on human evolution and our closest ape relatives.
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Telomere-to-telomere (T2T) assemblies reveal new insights into the structure and function of the previously 'invisible' parts of the genome and allow comparative analyses of complete genomes across entire clades. We present here an open collaborative effort, termed the 'Ruminant T2T Consortium' (RT2T), that aims to generate complete diploid assemblies for numerous species of the Artiodactyla suborder Ruminantia to examine chromosomal evolution in the context of natural selection and domestication of species used as livestock.

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Article Synopsis
  • Apes have two sex chromosomes: the essential Y chromosome for male reproduction and the X chromosome necessary for both reproduction and cognition, with differences in mating patterns affecting their function.
  • Studying these chromosomes is challenging due to their repetitive structures, but researchers created gapless assemblies for five great apes and one lesser ape to explore their evolutionary complexities.
  • The Y chromosomes are highly variable and undergo significant changes compared to the more stable X chromosomes, and this research can provide insights into human evolution and aid in the conservation of endangered ape species.
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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.*
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