Genetics: How the Yangtze finless porpoise adapted to freshwater
Nature Communications
April 11, 2018
Genes that may explain how finless porpoises came to inhabit the Yangtze river are described this week in Nature Communications. Unlike their ocean-dwelling relatives, the critically endangered Yangtze porpoises are adapted to freshwater and harbour genetic variants that could account for changes in kidney function and maintain the right balance of water and salts in the blood.
Based on genomic data collected from 49 finless porpoises in East Asia, Rasmus Nielsen and colleagues show that the Yangtze finless porpoises differ from other populations at the genetic level, suggesting they rarely breed with other varieties and may represent an incipient species. Variants of genes encoding proteins related to kidney function - one that transports urea and another that regulates the amount of sodium reabsorbed to the bloodstream - show signatures of Darwinian selection among Yangtze porpoises suggesting they may be advantageous for a freshwater lifestyle. This could reflect a need to conserve salt; essential for river porpoises but unproblematic for their marine counterparts.
The finless porpoises are the last remaining cetacean in the Yangtze following the recent extinction of the Yangtze river dolphin. The authors hope that the genetic data, illustrating the distinctive genetic makeup of the Yangtze population, will spur ongoing efforts to prevent habitat destruction.
doi: 10.1038/s41467-018-03722-x
Research highlights
-
Aug 5
Microbiology: Single switch makes Escherichia coli beneficial insect partnerNature Microbiology
-
Aug 5
Conservation: More than half of unassessable species may be at risk of extinctionCommunications Biology
-
Aug 4
Physiology: Restoring cellular functions in pigs after deathNature
-
Aug 3
Zoology: Mother’s iron helps Weddell seal pups diveNature Communications
-
Aug 2
Health: Certain medications may impact risk of heat-related heart attacksNature Cardiovascular Research
-
Jul 28
Archaeology: Ancient humans were consuming milk long before they could digest itNature