TY - JOUR

T1 - High-coverage genomes to elucidate the evolution of penguins

AU - Pan, Hailin

AU - Cole, Theresa L.

AU - Bi, Xupeng

AU - Fang, Miaoquan

AU - Zhou, Chengran

AU - Yang, Zhengtao

AU - Ksepka, Daniel T.

AU - Hart, Tom

AU - Bouzat, Juan L.

AU - Argilla, Lisa S.

AU - Bertelsen, Mads F.

AU - Boersma, P. Dee

AU - Bost, Charles André

AU - Cherel, Yves

AU - Dann, Peter

AU - Fiddaman, Steven R.

AU - Howard, Pauline

AU - Labuschagne, Kim

AU - Mattern, Thomas

AU - Miller, Gary

AU - Parker, Patricia

AU - Phillips, Richard A.

AU - Quillfeldt, Petra

AU - Ryan, Peter G.

AU - Taylor, Helen

AU - Thompson, David R.

AU - Young, Melanie J.

AU - Ellegaard, Martin R.

AU - Gilbert, M. Thomas P.

AU - Sinding, Mikkel Holger S.

AU - Pacheco, George

AU - Shepherd, Lara D.

AU - Tennyson, Alan J.D.

AU - Grosser, Stefanie

AU - Kay, Emily

AU - Nupen, Lisa J.

AU - Ellenberg, Ursula

AU - Houston, David M.

AU - Reeve, Andrew Hart

AU - Johnson, Kathryn

AU - Masello, Juan F.

AU - Stracke, Thomas

AU - McKinlay, Bruce

AU - Borboroglu, Pablo García

AU - Zhang, De Xing

AU - Zhang, Guojie

N1 - Correction to: High-coverage genomes to elucidate the evolution of penguins (GigaScience (2019) 8 9 PII: giaa031) DOI: 10.1093/gigascience/giaa031

PY - 2019

Y1 - 2019

N2 - BACKGROUND: Penguins (Sphenisciformes) are a remarkable order of flightless wing-propelled diving seabirds distributed widely across the southern hemisphere. They share a volant common ancestor with Procellariiformes close to the Cretaceous-Paleogene boundary (66 million years ago) and subsequently lost the ability to fly but enhanced their diving capabilities. With ∼20 species among 6 genera, penguins range from the tropical Galápagos Islands to the oceanic temperate forests of New Zealand, the rocky coastlines of the sub-Antarctic islands, and the sea ice around Antarctica. To inhabit such diverse and extreme environments, penguins evolved many physiological and morphological adaptations. However, they are also highly sensitive to climate change. Therefore, penguins provide an exciting target system for understanding the evolutionary processes of speciation, adaptation, and demography. Genomic data are an emerging resource for addressing questions about such processes. RESULTS: Here we present a novel dataset of 19 high-coverage genomes that, together with 2 previously published genomes, encompass all extant penguin species. We also present a well-supported phylogeny to clarify the relationships among penguins. In contrast to recent studies, our results demonstrate that the genus Aptenodytes is basal and sister to all other extant penguin genera, providing intriguing new insights into the adaptation of penguins to Antarctica. As such, our dataset provides a novel resource for understanding the evolutionary history of penguins as a clade, as well as the fine-scale relationships of individual penguin lineages. Against this background, we introduce a major consortium of international scientists dedicated to studying these genomes. Moreover, we highlight emerging issues regarding ensuring legal and respectful indigenous consultation, particularly for genomic data originating from New Zealand Taonga species. CONCLUSIONS: We believe that our dataset and project will be important for understanding evolution, increasing cultural heritage and guiding the conservation of this iconic southern hemisphere species assemblage.

AB - BACKGROUND: Penguins (Sphenisciformes) are a remarkable order of flightless wing-propelled diving seabirds distributed widely across the southern hemisphere. They share a volant common ancestor with Procellariiformes close to the Cretaceous-Paleogene boundary (66 million years ago) and subsequently lost the ability to fly but enhanced their diving capabilities. With ∼20 species among 6 genera, penguins range from the tropical Galápagos Islands to the oceanic temperate forests of New Zealand, the rocky coastlines of the sub-Antarctic islands, and the sea ice around Antarctica. To inhabit such diverse and extreme environments, penguins evolved many physiological and morphological adaptations. However, they are also highly sensitive to climate change. Therefore, penguins provide an exciting target system for understanding the evolutionary processes of speciation, adaptation, and demography. Genomic data are an emerging resource for addressing questions about such processes. RESULTS: Here we present a novel dataset of 19 high-coverage genomes that, together with 2 previously published genomes, encompass all extant penguin species. We also present a well-supported phylogeny to clarify the relationships among penguins. In contrast to recent studies, our results demonstrate that the genus Aptenodytes is basal and sister to all other extant penguin genera, providing intriguing new insights into the adaptation of penguins to Antarctica. As such, our dataset provides a novel resource for understanding the evolutionary history of penguins as a clade, as well as the fine-scale relationships of individual penguin lineages. Against this background, we introduce a major consortium of international scientists dedicated to studying these genomes. Moreover, we highlight emerging issues regarding ensuring legal and respectful indigenous consultation, particularly for genomic data originating from New Zealand Taonga species. CONCLUSIONS: We believe that our dataset and project will be important for understanding evolution, increasing cultural heritage and guiding the conservation of this iconic southern hemisphere species assemblage.

KW - Antarctica

KW - biogeography

KW - climate change

KW - comparative evolution

KW - demography

KW - evolution

KW - genomics

KW - phylogenetics

KW - speciation

KW - Sphenisciformes

UR - https://doi.org/10.1093/gigascience/giaa031

U2 - 10.1093/gigascience/giz117

DO - 10.1093/gigascience/giz117

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 31531675

AN - SCOPUS:85072283600

VL - 8

SP - 1

EP - 17

JO - GigaScience

JF - GigaScience

SN - 2047-217X

IS - 9

ER -