Genomes reveal marked differences in the adaptive evolution between orangutan species
Mattle-Greminger, Maja P. (University of Zurich. Department of Anthropology)
Bilgin Sonay, Tugce (University of Zurich. Department of Anthropology)
Nater, Alexander (University of Zurich. Department of Anthropology)
Pybus, Marc (Institut de Biologia Evolutiva (UPF-CSIC) (Barcelona))
Desai, Tariq (University of Cambridge. Department of Genetics)
Valles, Guillem de (Institut de Biologia Evolutiva (UPF-CSIC) (Barcelona))
Casals, Ferran (Universitat Pompeu Fabra)
Scally, Aylwyn (University of Cambridge. Department of Genetics)
Bertranpetit, Jaume (Institut de Biologia Evolutiva (UPF-CSIC) (Barcelona))
Marquès i Bonet, Tomàs 1975- (Institut Català de Paleontologia Miquel Crusafont)
van Schaik, Carel P. (University of Zurich. Department of Anthropology)
Anisimova, Maria (Zurich University of Applied Sciences ZHAW)
Krützen, Michael (University of Zurich. Department of Anthropology)

Date:	2018
Abstract:	Background: Integrating demography and adaptive evolution is pivotal to understanding the evolutionary history and conservation of great apes. However, little is known about the adaptive evolution of our closest relatives, in particular if and to what extent adaptions to environmental differences have occurred. Here, we used whole-genome sequencing data from critically endangered orangutans from North Sumatra (Pongo abelii) and Borneo (P. pygmaeus) to investigate adaptive responses of each species to environmental differences during the Pleistocene. - Results: Taking into account the markedly disparate demographic histories of each species after their split ~ 1 Ma ago, we show that persistent environmental differences on each island had a strong impact on the adaptive evolution of the genus Pongo. Across a range of tests for positive selection, we find a consistent pattern of between-island and species differences. In the more productive Sumatran environment, the most notable signals of positive selection involve genes linked to brain and neuronal development, learning, and glucose metabolism. On Borneo, however, positive selection comprised genes involved in lipid metabolism, as well as cardiac and muscle activities. - Conclusions: We find strikingly different sets of genes appearing to have evolved under strong positive selection ineach species. In Sumatran orangutans, selection patterns were congruent with well-documented cognitive andbehavioral differences between the species, such as a larger and more complex cultural repertoire and higher degrees of sociality. However, in Bornean orangutans, selective responses to fluctuating environmental conditions appear to have produced physiological adaptations to generally lower and temporally more unpredictable food supplies.
Grants:	Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad BFU2017-86471-P Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad BFU2013-43726-P
Rights:	Aquest document està subjecte a una llicència d'ús Creative Commons. Es permet la reproducció total o parcial, la distribució, la comunicació pública de l'obra i la creació d'obres derivades, fins i tot amb finalitats comercials, sempre i quan es reconegui l'autoria de l'obra original.
Language:	Anglès
Document:	Article ; recerca ; Versió publicada
Subject:	Local adaptations ; Great apes ; Demographic history ; Cognitive evolution ; Pongo ; Pleistocene glaciations
Published in:	Genome biology, Vol. 19 (Novembre 2018) , art. 193, ISSN 1474-760X

DOI: 10.1186/s13059-018-1562-6
PMID: 30428903

13 p, 1.7 MB

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Research literature > UAB research groups literature > Research Centres and Groups (research output) > Experimental sciences > Institut Català de Paleontologia Miquel Crusafont (ICP)
Articles > Research articles
Articles > Published articles