Paleogenomics Of Pterosaurs And The Evolution Of Small Genome Size In Flying Vertebrates

Main Category: Biology / Biochemistry
Also Included In: Genetics;  Veterinary
Article Date: 22 Oct 2008 - 7:00 PDT

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Paleogenomics Of Pterosaurs And The Evolution Of Small Genome Size In Flying Vertebrates
The two living groups of flying vertebrates, birds and bats, have constricted genome sizes compared with their close relatives.

But nothing is known about the genomic characteristics of pterosaurs, which took to the air over 70-million years before birds and were the first group of vertebrates to evolve powered flight.

Our study finds that the small genomes commonly associated with flight in bats and birds also evolved in pterosaurs and that powered flight in amniotes coevolves with small genome size.

We predict that, similar to the pattern seen in birds, genomes size contraction preceded flight in pterosaurs and bats.

Royal Society Journal Biology Letters

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