Genomic insights into the secondary aquatic transition of penguins

Theresa L. Cole (), Chengran Zhou, Miaoquan Fang, Hailin Pan, Daniel T. Ksepka, Steven R. Fiddaman, Christopher A. Emerling, Daniel B. Thomas, Xupeng Bi, Qi Fang, Martin R. Ellegaard, Shaohong Feng, Adrian L. Smith, Tracy A. Heath, Alan J. D. Tennyson, Pablo García Borboroglu, Jamie R. Wood, Peter W. Hadden, Stefanie Grosser, Charles-André Bost, Yves Cherel, Thomas Mattern, Tom Hart, Mikkel-Holger S. Sinding, Lara D. Shepherd, Richard A. Phillips, Petra Quillfeldt, Juan F. Masello, Juan L. Bouzat, Peter G. Ryan, David R. Thompson, Ursula Ellenberg, Peter Dann, Gary Miller, P. Dee Boersma, Ruoping Zhao, M. Thomas P. Gilbert, Huanming Yang, Zhang De-Xing and Guojie Zhang ()
Additional contact information
Theresa L. Cole: University of Copenhagen
Chengran Zhou: BGI-Shenzhen
Miaoquan Fang: BGI-Shenzhen
Hailin Pan: BGI-Shenzhen
Daniel T. Ksepka: Bruce Museum
Steven R. Fiddaman: University of Oxford
Christopher A. Emerling: Reedley College
Daniel B. Thomas: Massey University
Xupeng Bi: BGI-Shenzhen
Qi Fang: BGI-Shenzhen
Martin R. Ellegaard: University of Copenhagen
Shaohong Feng: BGI-Shenzhen
Adrian L. Smith: University of Oxford
Tracy A. Heath: Iowa State University
Alan J. D. Tennyson: Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa
Pablo García Borboroglu: University of Washington
Jamie R. Wood: University of Adelaide, North Terrace Campus
Peter W. Hadden: University of Auckland
Stefanie Grosser: University of Otago
Charles-André Bost: Centre d’Etudes Biologiques de Chizé (CEBC), UMR 7372 du CNRS-La Rochelle Université
Yves Cherel: Centre d’Etudes Biologiques de Chizé (CEBC), UMR 7372 du CNRS-La Rochelle Université
Thomas Mattern: University of Otago
Tom Hart: University of Oxford
Mikkel-Holger S. Sinding: University of Copenhagen
Lara D. Shepherd: Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa
Richard A. Phillips: British Antarctic Survey, Natural Environment Research Council, High Cross
Petra Quillfeldt: Justus-Liebig-Universität Giessen
Juan F. Masello: Justus-Liebig-Universität Giessen
Juan L. Bouzat: Bowling Green State University
Peter G. Ryan: University of Cape Town
David R. Thompson: National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research Ltd.
Ursula Ellenberg: Global Penguin Society
Peter Dann: Phillip Island Nature Parks, PO Box 97, Cowes, Phillip Island
Gary Miller: University of Western Australia
P. Dee Boersma: University of Washington
Ruoping Zhao: Chinese Academy of Sciences
M. Thomas P. Gilbert: University of Copenhagen
Huanming Yang: BGI-Shenzhen
Zhang De-Xing: Center for Computational and Evolutionary Biology & State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences
Guojie Zhang: University of Copenhagen

Nature Communications, 2022, vol. 13, issue 1, 1-13

Abstract: Abstract 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.

Date: 2022
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-31508-9

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