Science, Space and Technology News 2024
A study uncovered the genetic basis behind the gliding ability in mammals, particularly marsupials, by identifying key changes in DNA enhancers near the Emx2 gene, suggesting a common evolutionary strategy for developing flight capabilities in various species. Credit: Joe MacDonald
People say “When pigs fly” to describe the impossible. But even if most mammals are landlubbers, the ability to glide or fly has evolved again and again during mammalian evolution, inand Baylor College of Medicine explains the genomic and developmental basis of the patagium, the thin skin membrane that allows some mammalian species to soar through the air.
To better understand patagium evolution, the team focused on marsupials. That is because the ability to glide has developed repeatedly, using similar anatomical changes, in closely related marsupials like the sugar glider – a tiny marsupial small enough to fit in your pocket, and popular as an exotic pet.sequences in both gliding species and their non-gliding relatives. Comparing those sequences revealed accelerated evolution near a gene called Emx2.
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