A chromosome-level genome assembly of the Asian house martin implies potential genes associated with the feathered-foot trait.

ABSTRACT: The presence of feathers is a vital characteristic among birds, yet most modern birds had no feather on their feet. The discoveries of feathers on the hind limbs of basal birds and dinosaurs have sparked an interest in the evolutionary origin and genetic mechanism of feathered feet. However, the majority of studies investigating the genes associated with this trait focused on domestic populations. Understanding the genetic mechanism underpinned feathered-foot development in wild birds is still in its infancy. Here, we assembled a chromosome-level genome of the Asian house martin (Delichon dasypus) using the long-read High Fidelity sequencing approach to initiate the search for genes associated with its feathered feet. We employed the whole-genome alignment of D. dasypus with other swallow

SUBMITTER: Chan YF 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11152083 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature