Reptile Evolution and Genetics: An Overview

Olmo, Ettore

doi:10.3390/ani13121924

Cited by 3 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 34 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…From a cytogenetic point of view, the high taxonomic and biological diversity of squamate reptiles is reflected at the chromosome level. Squamate reptiles show a remarkable diversity in their karyotype structure, including chromosome number and morphology, presence or absence of different chromosome classes (micro- and macrochromosomes) and the number and localization of specific chromosome markers (see, e.g., [ 12 , 13 ]). Chromosome sex determination systems are also highly variable in squamates.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Karyotype Diversification and Chromosome Rearrangements in Squamate Reptiles

Mezzasalma,

Macirella,

Odierna

et al. 2024

Genes

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Karyotype diversification represents an important, yet poorly understood, driver of evolution. Squamate reptiles are characterized by a high taxonomic diversity which is reflected at the karyotype level in terms of general structure, chromosome number and morphology, and insurgence of differentiated simple or multiple-sex-chromosome systems with either male or female heterogamety. The potential of squamate reptiles as unique model organisms in evolutionary cytogenetics has been recognised in recent years in several studies, which have provided novel insights into the chromosome evolutionary dynamics of different taxonomic groups. Here, we review and summarize the resulting complex, but promising, general picture from a systematic perspective, mapping some of the main squamate karyological characteristics onto their phylogenetic relationships. We highlight how all the major categories of balanced chromosome rearrangements contributed to the karyotype evolution in different taxonomic groups. We show that distinct karyotype evolutionary trends may occur, and coexist, with different frequencies in different clades. Finally, in light of the known squamate chromosome diversity and recent research advances, we discuss traditional and novel hypotheses on karyotype evolution and propose a scenario of circular karyotype evolution.

show abstract

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Karyotype Diversification and Chromosome Rearrangements in Squamate Reptiles

Mezzasalma,

Macirella,

Odierna

et al. 2024

Genes

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

The genome of the Australian water dragon (Intellagama lesueurii), an agamid model for urban adaptation

Powell,

Jackson,

Kaur

et al. 2024

Journal of Heredity

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Squamate reptiles are a highly diverse and intriguing group of tetrapods, offering valuable insights into the evolution of amniotes. The Australian water dragon (Intellagama lesueurii) is a member of the Agamidae, and sister to the core mesic Australian endemic radiation (Amphibolurinae). The species is renowned for its urban adaptability and complex social systems. We report a 1.8 Gb chromosome-length genome assembly together with the annotation of 23,675 protein-coding genes. Comparative analysis with other squamate genomes highlights gene family expansions associated with immune function, energetic homeostasis, and wound healing. This reference genome will serve as a valuable resource for studies of evolution and environmental resilience in lizards.

show abstract

Highlighting chromosomal rearrangements of five species of Galliformes (Domestic fowl, Common and Japanese quail, Barbary and Chukar partridge) and the Houbara bustard, an endangered Otidiformes: banding cytogenetic is a powerful tool

Kartout-Benmessaoud,

Ouchia-Benissad,

Mahiddine-Aoudjit

et al. 2024

CCG

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Birds are one of the most diverse groups among terrestrial vertebrates. They evolved from theropod dinosaurs, are closely related to the sauropsid group and separated from crocodiles about 240 million years ago. According to the IUCN, 12% of bird populations are threatened with potential extinction. Classical cytogenetics remains a powerful tool for comparing bird genomes and plays a crucial role in the preservation populations of endangered species. It thus makes it possible to detect chromosomal abnormalities responsible for early embryonic mortalities. Thus, in this work, we have provided new information on part of the evolutionary history by analysing high-resolution GTG-banded chromosomes to detect inter- and intrachromosomal rearrangements in six species. Indeed, the first eight autosomal pairs and the sex chromosomes of the domestic fowl Gallus gallus domesticus Linnaeus, 1758 were compared with five species, four of which represent the order Galliformes (Common and Japanese quail, Gambras and Chukar partridge) and one Otidiformes species (Houbara bustard). Our findings suggest a high degree of conservation of the analysed ancestral chromosomes of the four Galliformes species, with the exception of (double, terminal, para and pericentric) inversions, deletion and the formation of neocentromeres (1, 2, 4, 7, 8, Z and W chromosomes). In addition to the detected rearrangements, reorganisation of the Houbara bustard chromosomes mainly included fusions and fissions involving both macro- and microchromosomes (especially on 2, 4 and Z chromosomes). We also found interchromosomal rearrangements involving shared microchromosomes (10, 11, 13, 14 and 19) between the two analysed avian orders. These rearrangements confirm that the structure of avian karyotypes will be more conserved at the interchromosomal but not at intrachromosomal scale. The appearance ofa small number of inter- and intrachromosomal rearrangements that occurred during evolution suggests a high degree of conservatism of genome organisation in these six species studied. A summary diagram of the rearrangements detected in this study is proposed to explain the chronology of the appearance of various evolutionary events starting from the ancestral karyotype.

show abstract

Reptile Evolution and Genetics: An Overview

Abstract: The study of evolution has been indissolubly linked to the study of heredity since its inception [1]. [...]

Cited by 3 publications

References 34 publications

Karyotype Diversification and Chromosome Rearrangements in Squamate Reptiles

Karyotype Diversification and Chromosome Rearrangements in Squamate Reptiles

The genome of the Australian water dragon (Intellagama lesueurii), an agamid model for urban adaptation

Highlighting chromosomal rearrangements of five species of Galliformes (Domestic fowl, Common and Japanese quail, Barbary and Chukar partridge) and the Houbara bustard, an endangered Otidiformes: banding cytogenetic is a powerful tool

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About