Genomic analysis of Tibetan ground tits identifies molecular adaptations associated with cooperative breeding.

ABSTRACT: Cooperative breeding is a sophisticated altruistic social behavior that helps social animals to adapt to harsh environments. The Tibetan ground tit, Pseudopodoces humilis, is a high-altitude bird endemic to the Tibetan plateau. Recently, it has become an exciting system for studying the evolution of facultative cooperative breeding. To test for molecular adaptations associated with cooperative breeding, we resequenced the whole genome of ground tits from 6 wild populations that display remarkable variation in the frequency of cooperative breeding. Population structure analyses showed that the 6 populations were divided into 4 lineages, which is congruent with the major geographical distribution of the sampling sites. Using genome-wide selective sweep analysis, we identified putative

SUBMITTER: Wang Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10449426 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature