Across two continents: The genomic basis of environmental adaptation in house mice (Mus musculus domesticus) from the Americas.

Replicated clines across environmental gradients can be strong evidence of adaptation. House mice (Mus musculus domesticus) were introduced to the Americas by European colonizers and are now widely distributed from Tierra del Fuego to Alaska. Multiple aspects of climate, such as temperature, vary predictably across latitude in the Americas.

Across two continents: the genomic basis of environmental adaptation in house mice () from the Americas.

Parallel clines across environmental gradients can be strong evidence of adaptation. House mice () were introduced to the Americas by European colonizers and are now widely distributed from Tierra del Fuego to Alaska. Multiple aspects of climate, such as temperature, vary predictably across latitude in the Americas.

Comparative mitochondrial genomics of American nectar-feeding long-nosed bats Leptonycteris spp. with insights into the phylogeny of the family Phyllostomidae.

Among leaf-nosed bats (family Phyllostomidae), the genus Leptonycteris (subfamily Glossophaginae), contains three migratory and obligate nectar-dwelling species of great ecological and economic importance; the greater long-nosed bat L. nivalis, the lesser long-nosed bat L. yerbabuenae, and the southern long-nosed bat L.

The mitochondrial genomes of big-eared bats, Macrotus waterhousii and Macrotus californicus (Chiroptera: Phyllostomidae: Macrotinae).

In the species-rich family Phyllostomidae, the genus Macrotus ('big eared' bats) contains only two species; Macrotus waterhousii, distributed in western, central, and southern Mexico, Guatemala and some Caribbean Islands, and Macrotus californicus, distributed in the southwestern USA, and in the Baja California peninsula and the state of Sonora in Mexico. In this study, we sequenced and assembled the mitochondrial genome of Macrotus waterhousii and characterized in detail this genome and that of the congeneric M. californicus.

Sucrose digestion capacity in birds shows convergent coevolution with nectar composition across continents.

The major lineages of nectar-feeding birds (hummingbirds, sunbirds, honeyeaters, flowerpiercers, and lorikeets) are considered examples of convergent evolution. We compared sucrose digestion capacity and sucrase enzymatic activity per unit intestinal surface area among 50 avian species from the New World, Africa, and Australia, including 20 nectarivores. With some exceptions, nectarivores had smaller intestinal surfaces, higher sucrose hydrolysis capacity, and greater sucrase activity per unit intestinal area.

Large-scale genome sampling reveals unique immunity and metabolic adaptations in bats.

Comprising more than 1,400 species, bats possess adaptations unique among mammals including powered flight, unexpected longevity, and extraordinary immunity. Some of the molecular mechanisms underlying these unique adaptations includes DNA repair, metabolism and immunity. However, analyses have been limited to a few divergent lineages, reducing the scope of inferences on gene family evolution across the Order Chiroptera.

The domestication of Cucurbita argyrosperma as revealed by the genome of its wild relative.

Despite their economic importance and well-characterized domestication syndrome, the genomic impact of domestication and the identification of variants underlying the domestication traits in Cucurbita species (pumpkins and squashes) is currently lacking. Cucurbita argyrosperma, also known as cushaw pumpkin or silver-seed gourd, is a Mexican crop consumed primarily for its seeds rather than fruit flesh. This makes it a good model to study Cucurbita domestication, as seeds were an essential component of early Mesoamerican diet and likely the first targets of human-guided selection in pumpkins and squashes.

The role of environment, local adaptation, and past climate fluctuation on the amount and distribution of genetic diversity in two subspecies of Mexican wild Zea mays.

Premise: Past climate fluctuations during the Holocene and Pleistocene shaped the distribution of several plant species in temperate areas over the world. Wild maize, commonly known as teosinte, is a good system to evaluate the effects of historical climate fluctuations on genetic diversity due to its wide distribution in Mexico with contrasting environmental conditions. We explored the influence of contemporary factors and historical environmental shifts on genetic diversity, including present and three historical periods using neutral markers.

An Evolutionary Remedy for an Abominable Physiological Mystery: Benign Hyperglycemia in Birds.

Relative to other vertebrates, birds have unusually high blood glucose levels. In humans, the hyperglycemia observed in birds would be associated with diabetes mellitus and the non-enzymatic glycation of proteins, which leads to the accumulation of advanced glycation products and to a plethora of microvascular pathologies. How do birds avoid the negative effects of hyperglycemia? Anthony-Regnitz et al.

Genomic consequences of dietary diversification and parallel evolution due to nectarivory in leaf-nosed bats.

Background: The New World leaf-nosed bats (Phyllostomids) exhibit a diverse spectrum of feeding habits and innovations in their nutrient acquisition and foraging mechanisms. However, the genomic signatures associated with their distinct diets are unknown.

Results: We conducted a genomic comparative analysis to study the evolutionary dynamics related to dietary diversification and specialization.

The Genome of Cucurbita argyrosperma (Silver-Seed Gourd) Reveals Faster Rates of Protein-Coding Gene and Long Noncoding RNA Turnover and Neofunctionalization within Cucurbita.

Whole-genome duplications are an important source of evolutionary novelties that change the mode and tempo at which genetic elements evolve within a genome. The Cucurbita genus experienced a whole-genome duplication around 30 million years ago, although the evolutionary dynamics of the coding and noncoding genes in this genus have not yet been scrutinized. Here, we analyzed the genomes of four Cucurbita species, including a newly assembled genome of Cucurbita argyrosperma, and compared the gene contents of these species with those of five other members of the Cucurbitaceae family to assess the evolutionary dynamics of protein-coding and long intergenic noncoding RNA (lincRNA) genes after the genome duplication.