UAE: Falcon genes hold key clue to understanding speciation, researchers find – News

Study finds unique evolutionary patterns in birds

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A team of researchers from New York University Abu Dhabi (NYUAD) has discovered that the falcon could be a model for studying the links between genome evolution, speciation and environmental adaptation, finding a strong link between the structure of the genome and the structure of species through Evolved by studying the genome structure of Arabia’s favorite bird.

The researchers, led by postdoctoral associate and evolutionary biologist Justin Wilcox, studied several species of falconry to map the species’ genome and found unique evolutionary patterns in birds.

In a new paper titled “Linked read sequences of eight falcons reveal unique genome structure in flux,” Wilcox and colleagues present the new genomes of eight falcons and analyze the falcon’s unique How genome structure affects their evolution. Falcons are an ideal model for studying evolutionary processes, they say, because of the constant emergence of new falcon species and the extreme changes in the environment and habitats that falcons live in.

Additionally, falcons have a unique arrangement of their genomes compared to other animals, including other birds. The researchers found that falcon genomes are now evolving in a more similar way to processes observed in mammals: Specifically, they report that falcons were the first birds to exhibit an evolutionary process called AT-GC imbalance , this evolutionary process has only been well documented previously in mammals.

The team sequenced the Lanna falcon genome for the first time in the species’ history, in addition to producing two new gyrofalcon genomes, three new peregrine falcon genomes – including the first ever for two The reference genomes of a subspecies of peregrine falcon—and a new genome of the sable and common kestrel. Together, these species represent all of the most commonly used falconry species in falconry. The new genome is publicly available on NCBI Genbank.

Falcons are important to cultural, commercial and conservation efforts in the MENA region; the results of this study suggest that falcons may also play a special role in elucidating how and why genetic material is organized in this way.

“The speed and success of falcons in spreading and colonizing new environments globally is unique. Our findings highlight that their evolution is also unique among birds at the molecular level,” Wilcox said. “This study also opens the way for future studies of the falcon genome to improve ancestry testing and hybridization detection, genomic trait mapping, and identification of genomic differences between species.”