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A review article on the genomics of mammalian adaptation to deserts has been published in the latest issue of TRENDS IN ECOLOGY & EVOLUTION

A review article on the genomics of mammalian adaptation to deserts has been published in the latest issue of TRENDS IN ECOLOGY & EVOLUTION
CIBIO-InBIO researchers Joana Rocha, Raquel Godinho and José Carlos Brito, together with Rasmus Nielsen from UC Berkeley, published a review of the literature regarding the genes potentially involved in mammalian adaptation to desert environments, and the methods used to detect signals of this adaptation.

The authors highlight that selection in desert-adapted organisms appears to have targeted genes in multiple functional classes and pathways, associated especially with processes involved in the resistance to water and food scarcity and extreme temperatures, consistent with the complexity and variety of phenotypes associated with desert adaptation.

This work emphasizes the lack of studies in several classes of desert mammals. Furthermore, it also calls attention to the lack of studies using functional analyses, which limits the possibility of establishing direct relationships between genotypes, phenotypes and environmental variables. 

To access the full article please click here
2021-04-26
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