HOW THE IBERIAN HARE KEEPS GENES OF A GHOST SPECIES
In an article published by the prestigious journal Genome Biology, an international team led by CIBIO-InBIO researchers Fernando Seixas and José Melo-Ferreira, shows that most of the genetic exchanges that occurred in the past between the Iberian and the Mountain hare occurred by chance, due to the demographic dynamics of these species, but for some nuclear genes it was promoted by natural selection.
In this study, which has been highlighted by the media, the authors analysed the complete genomes of individuals from the two species and concluded that, in spite of the several incompatibilities restricting the free exchange of genes, some portions of the Mountain hare nuclear genome invaded the Iberian hare genome. While most foreign nuclear genes are rare and occur throughout the distribution of the Iberian hare, some reach high frequencies and thus may have been advantageous, for instance by improving the individuals immune response or enhancing the reproductive capacity of males.
To know more about this topic, please follow the links below:
"CIBIO-InBIO deteta “fantasma” do passado no genoma da lebre ibérica" | Notícias U.Porto | July 30, 2018 (Information available in Portuguese).
"Genes de espécie extinta conferiram funções imunitárias à lebre ibérica - estudo" | Diário de Notícias | July 30, 2018 (Information available in Portuguese).
"Lebre-Ibérica guarda traços de espécie já desaparecida" | Wilder | July 30, 2018 (Information available in Portuguese).
"Genes de espécie extinta conferiram funções imunitárias à lebre ibérica - estudo" | Lusa | July 30, 2018 (Information available in Portuguese).
"Genes de espécie extinta conferiram funções imunitárias à lebre ibérica - estudo" | TSF | July 30, 2018 (Information available in Portuguese).
"Le génome du lièvre ibérique garde la mémoire d’un "fantôme" du passé" | CNRS | July 31, 2018 (Information available in French).
"Genoma da lebre-ibérica guarda parte de um “fantasma” do passado” | Público | August 01, 2018 (Information available in Portuguese).
To read the national press release for this study, please click here.
To access the original article, please click here.