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Platypus and echidna genomes reveal mammalian biology and evolution.

Publication ,  Journal Article
Zhou, Y; Shearwin-Whyatt, L; Li, J; Song, Z; Hayakawa, T; Stevens, D; Fenelon, JC; Peel, E; Cheng, Y; Pajpach, F; Bradley, N; Suzuki, H ...
Published in: Nature
April 2021

Egg-laying mammals (monotremes) are the only extant mammalian outgroup to therians (marsupial and eutherian animals) and provide key insights into mammalian evolution1,2. Here we generate and analyse reference genomes of the platypus (Ornithorhynchus anatinus) and echidna (Tachyglossus aculeatus), which represent the only two extant monotreme lineages. The nearly complete platypus genome assembly has anchored almost the entire genome onto chromosomes, markedly improving the genome continuity and gene annotation. Together with our echidna sequence, the genomes of the two species allow us to detect the ancestral and lineage-specific genomic changes that shape both monotreme and mammalian evolution. We provide evidence that the monotreme sex chromosome complex originated from an ancestral chromosome ring configuration. The formation of such a unique chromosome complex may have been facilitated by the unusually extensive interactions between the multi-X and multi-Y chromosomes that are shared by the autosomal homologues in humans. Further comparative genomic analyses unravel marked differences between monotremes and therians in haptoglobin genes, lactation genes and chemosensory receptor genes for smell and taste that underlie the ecological adaptation of monotremes.

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Published In

Nature

DOI

EISSN

1476-4687

Publication Date

April 2021

Volume

592

Issue

7856

Start / End Page

756 / 762

Location

England

Related Subject Headings

  • Tachyglossidae
  • Sex Chromosomes
  • Platypus
  • Phylogeny
  • Mammals
  • Male
  • Genome
  • General Science & Technology
  • Female
  • Biological Evolution
 

Citation

APA
Chicago
ICMJE
MLA
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Zhou, Y., Shearwin-Whyatt, L., Li, J., Song, Z., Hayakawa, T., Stevens, D., … Zhang, G. (2021). Platypus and echidna genomes reveal mammalian biology and evolution. Nature, 592(7856), 756–762. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-020-03039-0
Zhou, Yang, Linda Shearwin-Whyatt, Jing Li, Zhenzhen Song, Takashi Hayakawa, David Stevens, Jane C. Fenelon, et al. “Platypus and echidna genomes reveal mammalian biology and evolution.Nature 592, no. 7856 (April 2021): 756–62. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-020-03039-0.
Zhou Y, Shearwin-Whyatt L, Li J, Song Z, Hayakawa T, Stevens D, et al. Platypus and echidna genomes reveal mammalian biology and evolution. Nature. 2021 Apr;592(7856):756–62.
Zhou, Yang, et al. “Platypus and echidna genomes reveal mammalian biology and evolution.Nature, vol. 592, no. 7856, Apr. 2021, pp. 756–62. Pubmed, doi:10.1038/s41586-020-03039-0.
Zhou Y, Shearwin-Whyatt L, Li J, Song Z, Hayakawa T, Stevens D, Fenelon JC, Peel E, Cheng Y, Pajpach F, Bradley N, Suzuki H, Nikaido M, Damas J, Daish T, Perry T, Zhu Z, Geng Y, Rhie A, Sims Y, Wood J, Haase B, Mountcastle J, Fedrigo O, Li Q, Yang H, Wang J, Johnston SD, Phillippy AM, Howe K, Jarvis ED, Ryder OA, Kaessmann H, Donnelly P, Korlach J, Lewin HA, Graves J, Belov K, Renfree MB, Grutzner F, Zhou Q, Zhang G. Platypus and echidna genomes reveal mammalian biology and evolution. Nature. 2021 Apr;592(7856):756–762.
Journal cover image

Published In

Nature

DOI

EISSN

1476-4687

Publication Date

April 2021

Volume

592

Issue

7856

Start / End Page

756 / 762

Location

England

Related Subject Headings

  • Tachyglossidae
  • Sex Chromosomes
  • Platypus
  • Phylogeny
  • Mammals
  • Male
  • Genome
  • General Science & Technology
  • Female
  • Biological Evolution