TY - JOUR

T1 - Life in Deserts

T2 - The Genetic Basis of Mammalian Desert Adaptation

AU - Rocha, Joana L.

AU - Godinho, Raquel

AU - Brito, José C.

AU - Nielsen, Rasmus

N1 - Funding Information: J.L.R., J.C.B, and R.G. were supported by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology , FCT ( SFRH/BD/116397/2016 , CEECINST/00014/2018/CP1512/CT0001 , and contract under DL57/2016 , respectively). R.N. was supported by National Institutes of Health (NIH) grant R01GM138634 . This work was partially supported by FCT project PTDC/BIA-EVL/31902/2017 . Publisher Copyright: © 2021

PY - 2021

Y1 - 2021

N2 - Deserts are among the harshest environments on Earth. The multiple ages of different deserts and their global distribution provide a unique opportunity to study repeated adaptation at different timescales. Here, we summarize recent genomic research on the genetic mechanisms underlying desert adaptations in mammals. Several studies on different desert mammals show large overlap in functional classes of genes and pathways, consistent with the complexity and variety of phenotypes associated with desert adaptation to water and food scarcity and extreme temperatures. However, studies of desert adaptation are also challenged by a lack of accurate genotype–phenotype–environment maps. We encourage development of systems that facilitate functional analyses, but also acknowledge the need for more studies on a wider variety of desert mammals.

AB - Deserts are among the harshest environments on Earth. The multiple ages of different deserts and their global distribution provide a unique opportunity to study repeated adaptation at different timescales. Here, we summarize recent genomic research on the genetic mechanisms underlying desert adaptations in mammals. Several studies on different desert mammals show large overlap in functional classes of genes and pathways, consistent with the complexity and variety of phenotypes associated with desert adaptation to water and food scarcity and extreme temperatures. However, studies of desert adaptation are also challenged by a lack of accurate genotype–phenotype–environment maps. We encourage development of systems that facilitate functional analyses, but also acknowledge the need for more studies on a wider variety of desert mammals.

KW - adaptation

KW - desert

KW - genomics

KW - mammals

KW - physiology

U2 - 10.1016/j.tree.2021.03.007

DO - 10.1016/j.tree.2021.03.007

M3 - Review

C2 - 33863602

AN - SCOPUS:85104149718

VL - 36

SP - 637

EP - 650

JO - Trends in Ecology & Evolution

JF - Trends in Ecology & Evolution

SN - 0169-5347

IS - 7

ER -