Orange cat mystery solved! Orange cats lack ~5,100 bases of DNA that normally regulate the gene ARHGAP36. The gene is still there, but switched on when it should be off. www.cell.com/current-biol... #2026MMM #RIP

Bengal cats (house cats that are ~4% Asian leopard cat) look wild, but domestic cat controls the coat color. Leopard cat color genes are suppressed. Genome version of home habitat advantage www.cell.com/current-biol... #2026MMM

Lions & tigers & bears? Genomic work from Sun et al. (2025) found the Japanese Archipelago housed lions, not tigers, during the Late Pleistocene. Originally, all big 🐱 fossil remains were attributed to tigers. Oh my! doi.org/10.1073/pnas... #2026MMM

Across 27 dromedary camel-types, DNA analysis showed that names based on coat color often didn’t match real genetic boundaries. The strongest pattern was geography: camel-types cluster broadly by origin (Asia vs. Africa). #2026MMM #RIP doi.org/10.1093/jher...

Aurochs used to live in Northern and Southern Europe and carried many mitochondrial genome lineages. Lari et al found that Southern Italy aurochs have similar lineages as modern cattle unlike northern Europe Aurochs, suggesting a role in domestication for Italy doi.org/10.1186/1471... #2026MMM

To protect their kidneys during extreme dehydration, camels use a unique metabolic strategy. Rather than importing osmolytes like most mammals, they increase glucose uptake in renal cells, fueling osmolyte production to balance osmotic stress. #2026MMM www.nature.com/articles/nco...

#RIP Genome-wide heterozygosity of the ossifrage: 0.0011 sites/bp, roughly half the avian average. Zou et al. 2021 traced this genetic impoverishment to the Last Glacial Maximum (~20 kya), suggesting vultures were never genetically diverse to begin with. doi.org/10.1093/molb... #2026MMM

Gila monsters get viruses, like other species. 33 microvirus genomes were discovered from studying fecal samples from 14 Gila monsters. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC... #2026MMM

The ossifrage hides Ice Age history in its mtDNA! Godoy et al. used museum specimens of now-extinct populations to reveal 2 lineages: one from W. Europe, one from Africa & C. Asia, shaped by separate glacial refugia. doi.org/10.1046/j.13... #2026MMM

Asian elephant (🐘) lost tonight but it often wins against cancer! The Asian 🐘 genome + those of other mammals that are also less prone to cancer have a mutation in the ALDH6A1 gene that differs from other mammals and may help explain how they suppress cancer #2026MMM #RIP doi.org/10.1111/acel.13917

Hippos were present in central Europe until around 31,000 years ago at the same time as mammoths and woolly rhinos. This was likely a small and isolated population in the Upper Rhine Plain. #2026MMM doi.org/10.1016/j.cu...

60% of the 🌏's wild Asian elephants (🐘) reside in India. Whole genome data from 34 Asian 🐘 reveal patterns of genetic divergence, diversity, inbreeding, + costly mutations that suggest 🐘 serially founded new populations as they moved north ➡️ south in India. #2026MMM doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2024.08.062

#RIP Grey fox. Sarcoptic mange devastates wolves, coyotes & red foxes. In wolves, immunity & skin barrier genes explain who survives. Grey foxes are remarkably mange-resistant. With the new grey fox reference genome, we have the tools to discover why! #2026MMM pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC...

Grey foxes colonized California's Channel Islands ~13,000 years ago and evolved into an entirely new species, the island fox! DNA shows all island foxes trace back to a now-extinct mainland grey fox population replaced by expanding grey foxes. #2026MMM www.mdpi.com/2073-4425/13...

Hekkala et al. (2011) used DNA to id cryptic diversity finding that both C. niloticus & C. suchas historically inhabited the Nile River! DNA of 8 croc mummies from Thebes & Samoun showed all were C. suchas, consistent w/priests' preference for the smaller croc! doi.org/10.1111/j.13... #2026MMM

European sea lampreys look well-mixed across the Atlantic, but seascape genomics tells a finer story. Baltazar-Soares et al. found local adaptation to ocean oxygen & river runoff, plus hints of selection driven by prey fish abundance. doi.org/10.1111/eva.... #2026MMM #RIP

Evolution invented adaptive immunity TWICE. Lampreys have no antibodies, yet Pancer et al. showed they build 10¹⁴+ unique immune receptors using leucine-rich repeats, a completely different molecular toolkit from our own. Convergent evolution! doi.org/10.1038/natu... #2026MMM

Honey badger is also susceptible to viruses - one honey badger attacked three people. Using molecular analyses, it was later confirmed that the honey badger was infected with rabies that it contracted from a dog www.mdpi.com/2414-6366/8/... #2026MMM

Using coalescent demographic reconstructions, Zhou et al found that the extinct Baiji had undergone a bottleneck at the beginning of the Holocene but populations were recovering in the last 10,000 years until recent extinction from human activities doi.org/10.1038/ncom... #2026MMM #RIP

True river dolphins across the world's rivers are not all related. The extinct Baiji from East Asia was more closely related to the South American river dolphins in the genus Inia than to the Ganges river dolphin or Susu from South Asia doi.org/10.1371/jour... #2026MMM

Scientists sequenced the mitochondrial genome of the extinct Steller’s Sea Cow from a museum bone, reconstructing its evolutionary history centuries after it went extinct. Data show it was most closely related to the dugong, found across the Indo-Pacific Ocean. #2026MMM doi.org/10.1016/j.yg...

Indian rhino genomes contain a fragment called pSS(R)2 composed of repetitive units. It is unique to this species and could be used to identify horns, hooves, and other tissues to prevent poaching. #2026MMM #RIP doi.org/10.1016/s037...

A noninvasive census of an animal population is possible by analyzing dung samples. Researchers extracted DNA from rhino droppings in Gorumara National Park. They identified 43 unique rhinos and a 3.8:1 male to female ratio in this region #2026MMM doi.org/10.1017/S003...

Despite their extremely large body size, humpback whales are well-known for their agility. Signatures of positive natural selection surrounding some genes related to reflexes and movement might hold clues to this awesome agility! #2026MMM doi.org/10.1016/j.gene.2024.148822

Tonight our final 16 species battle. Let's see whose genome wrote the better survival story. 🧬🎖️ I'll be posting genetics & evolution facts from Genetics TeaMMM #2026MMM

Was the Sea Mink its own species or a variant of the American Mink? DNA from the American mink shows that it is not a very genetically diverse species, making less likely that cryptic variation exists within the living representatives doi.org/10.1093/gbe/... #2026MMM #RIP

American mink have a history of being difficult to place in the Mustelid tree of life. Mink in the genus Neogale, including the extinct sea mink, used to be part of the weasels in the genus Mustela but DNA found the two branches to be distant cousins doi.org/10.1016/j.ym... #2026MMM

Genetic data show that the Camelus dromedarius, C. ferus, and C. bactrianus lost ~70% of their populations in the last glacial period. Domestication hit C. dromedarius again around 4-5 kya. The Wild Dromedary survived the Ice Age… then humans took over. #2026MMM doi.org/10.1007/s112...

Interestingly, the molar teeth of Grasshopper Mice have a much larger "cusped surface" than some of their relatives, meaning their molars have more pointy parts. Why? To crunch insect & other fleshy parts, of course! But alas, too little too late #RIP #2026MMM doi.org/10.1093/jmam...

But which other mice are the amazing semi-carnivorous Grasshopper Mice (Onychomys) related to? Seems that they diverged ~6 mya from the group that includes the North American Deermouse (Peromyscus) -- do you think they still have family reunions? #2026MMM doi.org/10.1093/jmam...

In 1997, analysis of RNA sequence expression found that Gila monsters have both GLP-1 and exendin-4 (a GLP-1 receptor agonist, like many popular medications today), but that exendin-4 was only expressed in Gila monster saliva. doi.org/10.1074/jbc.... #2026MMM

Scientists thought captive gazelles could bring G. saudiya back. DNA showed they were WRONG! Those captive populations weren’t the same species! It seems the only real Saudi Gazelles left are... museum skins! #RIP Saudi Gazelle. #2026MMM doi.org/10.1046/j.15...

Gazelles are the most species-rich group within the bovid tribe Antilopini. They likely originated in the Middle East, then spread widely: dorcas and Speke’s gazelles into Africa, chinkara into India, and goitered gazelles into Central Asia. #2026MMM doi.org/10.1016/j.ym...

Loss-of-function mutations in the lipoxygenase genes ALOX12B and ALOXE3 cause congenital ichthyosis (thick, scaly skin) in humans. These same genes are knocked out in the Steller’s Sea Cow (Hydrodamalis gigas), likely explaining its bark-like hide. #2026MMM doi.org/10.1126/scia...

Feigin et al used a complete ancient genome of the thylacine to reveal that their populations (and Tasmanian devils) started to decline slowly before human arrival to Australia making them especially vulnerable to hunting and habitat reduction doi.org/10.1038/s415... #2026MMM #RIP

Ancient DNA can give us insight into the immune system to understand how well a species tolerated disease and and its impact on extinction. Peel et al found the thylacine immune repertoire was typically mammalian and highly similar to other marsupials doi.org/10.1007/s002... #2026MMM

Most domestic cattle harbor mitochondrial haplotype T, but a few Near East harbor haplotype Q. Bonfiglio et al discovered haplogroup R, which is found only in Italy and may indicate a secondary event of local Auroch domestication or admixture doi.org/10.1371/jour... #2026MMM

Are carnivores more genetically diverse than herbivores? In Mojave lizards, it's complicated: Chuckwallas (S. ater) & other rare species matched or exceeded the diversity of more abundant ones, defying simple neutral theory predictions! doi.org/10.1371/jour... #2026MMM #RIP

Imagine deliberately deleting 20% of your genome at birth. That's what sea lamprey embryos do! Smith et al. found ~500 million base pairs are permanently removed from body cells, kept secret only in sperm & eggs. doi.org/10.1073/pnas... #2026MMM

Bigger population = more genetic diversity? Not always. Chuckwallas (S. ater) have smaller local populations than sympatric desert lizards, yet show comparable genetic diversity, suggesting selection, not just drift, shapes variation. doi.org/10.1038/hdy.... #2026MMM

Genomic data show some greater bilby (Macrotis lagotis) populations are losing genetic diversity over time. More inbreeding. Less variation. Will they follow the fate of their extinct cousin, the Yallara? #RIP #2026MMM doi.org/10.1002/jwmg...

The Yallara (Macrotis leucura) is gone, but it is part of a lineage older than many ecosystems. DNA shows their lineages split ~25 million years ago. They originated in Australia, then spread to New Guinea. #2026MMM doi.org/10.1016/j.ym...

Did you know the Baiji, the extinct Yangtze river dolphin, was more closely related to a Narwhal than to the Susu or Ganges river dolphin? Yan et al used mt genomes to establish a phylogeny of the river dolphins and found them not directly related doi.org/10.1016/j.ym... #2026MMM

All 33 shrike species trace their roots to Africa ~8 million years ago, when C4 grasses exploded across the continent. Oh, and Magpie Shrikes? Just big Lanius. The first complete shrike phylogeny reveals Laniidae is basically one giant genus. doi.org/10.1111/zsc.... #2026MMM #RIP

The Great Grey Shrike (Lanius excubitor) hides 6+ species! mtDNA of 18 subspecies showed the complex is not monophyletic, some are genetically closer to American Loggerhead Shrikes than to each other. Plumage lies, genes don't. doi.org/10.1016/j.ym... #2026MMM

A 2021 microsatellite survey of 236 ossifrage individuals across 3 continents revealed 3 distinct genetic clusters, but they don't match the 2 recognized subspecies! S. African birds are most genetically isolated & show the highest inbreeding. doi.org/10.1186/s128... #2026MMM

The Least Shrew used to enjoy an even larger pop size than today -- peaking ~30,000 ya prior to declining over the past 10,000 yr. Back then, ~200k breeding shrews likely inhabited Chaves Co, NM... that's a lot of cute shrews! #RIP #2026MMM onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1...

For such a small dude, the Least Shrew can get around -- they are distributed across eastern North America, with genetic units shown on the map using diff colors. Wild how those Virginia and Louisiana animals are closely related! #2026MMM onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1...

The honey badger isn’t the only species to evolve resistance to neurotoxins from venomous snakes - other species have convergently (independently) evolved similar genetic resistance mechanisms. doi.org/10.1016/j.to... #2026MMM

Some species are lost to history. Others are out here spitting acid and crushing bones. I'll be posting genetics & evolution facts for both tonight! #2026MMM Skeets by @cegamorim.bsky.social @fervillanea.bsky.social @n8upham.bsky.social @sexchrlab.bsky.social @acstone.bsky.social and me!