Villum Centre for Biodiversity Genomics, Section for Ecology and Evolution, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Ole Maaløes Vej 5, 2200, Copenhagen, Denmark.
BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, 518083, China.
Nat Commun. 2022 Jul 19;13(1):3912. doi: 10.1038/s41467-022-31508-9.
Penguins lost the ability to fly more than 60 million years ago, subsequently evolving a hyper-specialized marine body plan. Within the framework of a genome-scale, fossil-inclusive phylogeny, we identify key geological events that shaped penguin diversification and genomic signatures consistent with widespread refugia/recolonization during major climate oscillations. We further identify a suite of genes potentially underpinning adaptations related to thermoregulation, oxygenation, diving, vision, diet, immunity and body size, which might have facilitated their remarkable secondary transition to an aquatic ecology. Our analyses indicate that penguins and their sister group (Procellariiformes) have the lowest evolutionary rates yet detected in birds. Together, these findings help improve our understanding of how penguins have transitioned to the marine environment, successfully colonizing some of the most extreme environments on Earth.
企鹅在 6000 多万年前失去了飞行能力，随后进化出了高度特化的海洋身体形态。在一个包含化石的基因组规模系统发育框架内，我们确定了塑造企鹅多样化和与主要气候波动期间广泛避难所/再殖民化相一致的基因组特征的关键地质事件。我们进一步确定了一套可能支持与体温调节、氧合、潜水、视力、饮食、免疫和体型相关的适应的基因，这可能有助于它们向水生生态系统的显著二次过渡。我们的分析表明，企鹅及其姐妹群（信天翁目）在鸟类中具有迄今为止检测到的最低进化率。总的来说，这些发现有助于提高我们对企鹅如何过渡到海洋环境的理解，成功地在地球上一些最极端的环境中定居。
