10.5061/DRYAD.V961MB4
Lim, Marisa C.W.
Stony Brook University
Witt, Christopher C.
University of New Mexico
Graham, Catherine H.
Stony Brook University
Davalos, Liliana M.
Stony Brook University
Data from: Parallel molecular evolution in pathways, genes, and sites in
high-elevation hummingbirds revealed by comparative transcriptomics
Dryad
dataset
2019
Metallura phoebe
Hypoxia
Aglaeactis castelnaudii
Patagona gigas peruviana
Amazilia viridicauda
Chaetocercus mulsant
Phaethornis malaris
Trochilidae
Phlogophilus harterti
Colibri coruscans
respiratory electron transport
Convergent evolution
Coeligena violifer
Amazilia amazilia
Adelomyia melanogenys
Coeligena coeligena
National Science Foundation
https://ror.org/021nxhr62
DEB-1442142, DEB-1146491
2019-05-24T13:10:45Z
2019-05-24T13:10:45Z
en
https://doi.org/10.1093/gbe/evz101
56050 bytes
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CC0 1.0 Universal (CC0 1.0) Public Domain Dedication
High-elevation organisms experience shared environmental challenges that
include low oxygen availability, cold temperatures, and intense UV
radiation. Consequently, repeated evolution of the same genetic mechanisms
may occur across high-elevation taxa. To test this prediction, we
investigated the extent to which the same biochemical pathways, genes, or
sites were subject to parallel molecular evolution for 12 Andean
hummingbird species (family: Trochilidae) representing several independent
transitions to high elevation across the phylogeny. Across high-elevation
species, we discovered parallel evolution for several pathways and genes
with evidence of positive selection. In particular, positively selected
genes were frequently part of cellular respiration, metabolism, or cell
death pathways. To further examine the role of elevation in our analyses,
we compared results for low- and high-elevation species and tested
different thresholds for defining elevation categories. In analyses with
different elevation thresholds, positively selected genes reflected
similar functions and pathways, even though there were almost no specific
genes in common. For example, EPAS1 (HIF2), which has been implicated in
high-elevation adaptation in other vertebrates, shows a signature of
positive selection when high-elevation is defined broadly (> 1500
m), but not when defined narrowly (> 2500 m). While a few
biochemical pathways and genes change predictably as part of hummingbird
adaptation to high-elevation conditions, independent lineages have rarely
adapted via the same substitutions
mlim_transcriptome_scriptsBioinformatics and data analysis scripts used in
the study. The purpose of each script is briefly described in the readme
file.
Andes
Peru