NYU Abu Dhabi researchers discover breakthrough

A team of researchers at New York University Abu Dhabi (NYUAD) has discovered new insights into the evolution of color patterns in frogs and toads (collectively known as lizards). Animal color patterns help them camouflage their surroundings and avoid detection by prey or predators. Many anurans have a light stripe on their back that, when viewed from above, creates the optical illusion that the animal is split in half, confusing visually oriented predators. While this color pattern is common in frogs around the world, little is known about its evolution or genetic origin.

In their paper published in the journal Molecular Biology and Evolutionresearchers NYU Evolutionary Genomics Laboratory Completed an extensive comparative analysis including more than 2,700 anurans to learn more about the evolutionary history of vertebral stripes. They found that spine stripes have evolved hundreds of times and were selected for terrestrial habitats where visual predators — such as mammals or birds — coming directly from above are more prevalent. In contrast, this pattern was lost with much higher frequency in arboreal lineages (lineages that live in trees) compared to other habitats. While good for frogs that live on the ground, this color pattern can be bad for frogs that live in trees.

To understand the genetic basis of the pattern, the researchers focused on the Ethiopian grass frog species Luo Hansong, which is polymorphic – meaning it takes on the spine-stripe feature in multiple forms – wide, thin or absent.they found the gene ASIP Related to the stripe pattern of this species.This genetic variation affects expression levels ASIP In different morphs, higher expression resulted in broad stripes, while lower expression resulted in thin stripes.

They also compared the genes of closely related frog species and found that while they exhibited the same stripe pattern, they did not share the genetic variation found in frogs. rose. This led the researchers to conclude that in rose The researchers further concluded that the rapid evolution of vertebral stripes in anurans may have allowed the species to adapt to environmental changes or variable conditions.

The study is the first large-scale study of the adaptive value of vertebral stripes in an anuran whose evolutionary history is still not well understood.This study also established ASIP For the first time, genes and color patterns have been discovered in ananurans. ASIP is a well-studied gene in mammals known to be involved in melanin production and color changes. The fact that it is related to the color patterns of frogs opens up new avenues of research for the comparative study of color patterns in anurans and vertebrates.

“Our results show that the vertebral stripes of frogs and toads have great potential in the field of evolutionary biology, as it represents a clear example of repeated evolution. Therefore, studying this color pattern in other species can help us understand what happens when the same The extent to which evolution predictably follows the same molecular pathways when phenotypes of different species evolve under similar selective pressures,” said Sandra Goutte, Ph.D., a research associate at NYU’s Evolutionary Genomics Laboratory. “identification application’The role of s in our group’s coloration of anurans could also guide future comparative studies in vertebrates. “

Caption: Sandra Goutte, Ph.D., Research Assistant at NYU’s Evolutionary Genomics Laboratory. The landscape is the grasslands of the Ethiopian highlands, near Dinsho in Oromia.

About NYU Abu Dhabi

www.nyuad.nyu.edu

NYU Abu Dhabi is the Middle East’s first comprehensive liberal arts and research campus operated overseas by a major American research university. NYU Abu Dhabi combines an interdisciplinary, highly selective undergraduate program with a world center for advanced research and scholarship. The University enables its students in the sciences, engineering, social sciences, humanities and arts to succeed in an increasingly interdependent world and to drive collaboration and progress to meet humanity’s shared challenges. NYU Abu Dhabi’s talented students come from more than 115 countries and speak more than 115 languages. Together, NYU’s campuses in New York, Abu Dhabi and Shanghai form the backbone of a unique global university, offering faculty and students the opportunity to experience different learning environments and Opportunities to immerse yourself in other cultures on six continents.

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