Genomic signatures of recent convergent transitions to social life in spiders.

ABSTRACT: The transition from solitary to social life is a major phenotypic innovation, but its genetic underpinnings are largely unknown. To identify genomic changes associated with this transition, we compare the genomes of 22 spider species representing eight recent and independent origins of sociality. Hundreds of genes tend to experience shifts in selection during the repeated transition to social life. These genes are associated with several key functions, such as neurogenesis, behavior, and metabolism, and include genes that previously have been implicated in animal social behavior and human behavioral disorders. In addition, social species have elevated genome-wide rates of molecular evolution associated with relaxed selection caused by reduced effective population size. Altogether, our stud

SUBMITTER: Tong C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9681848 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature