Genomic signatures of extreme body size divergence in baboons
Kenneth L. Chiou, Christina M. Bergey, Andrew S. Burrell, Todd R. Disotell, Jeff Rogers, Clifford J. Jolly, Jane E. Phillips-Conroy
doi: 10.1101/578740
PDF of preprint available from bioRxiv
Abstract: Kinda and gray-footed chacma baboons occupy opposite extremes of the body size distribution in extant baboons (genus Papio). In order to detect signatures of natural selection in these two species, we genotyped 24,790 genome-wide autosomal SNPs from populations of Zambian baboons using double digest RADseq. We scanned the genome for evidence of selection by identifying regions with extreme differentiation between populations. We find evidence of selection on body size influencing multiple genes in one or both species, including FGF1, ATXN2, and PRKCE. We also find an enriched signal of selection associated with biological processes involved in multicellular organism growth and development, cell proliferation and cell growth, nutrient metabolism, and chondrocyte differentiation. Finally, we find that selection has impacted components of the CCKR signaling pathway, which regulates food intake and metabolism, and the JAK/STAT signaling pathway, which mediates the effect of cytokine signals on processes including epiphyseal chondrocyte proliferation essential for longitudinal bone growth. Our findings highlight promising avenues for future studies disentangling the genetic architecture of body size in primates including humans.
Select Tweets:
Two baboon preprints in one day! ?? Led by @kchiou, both focus on the smallest baboon which we got to study in Zambia. First is on adaptive body size evolution (https://t.co/rne1t2cs9L), second is on hybridization w/ bigger (& uglier) chacma baboons (https://t.co/TxNeISOPE1). pic.twitter.com/SdtJp6nzWr
— Christina Bergey (@bergeycm) March 18, 2019
Preprint of our new paper on genome-wide signatures of body size divergence in baboons just posted (the body weights are seriously different!). https://t.co/m0nlGDBUuk. With @bergeycm, @ToddDisotell, and others. pic.twitter.com/eRyNxxFECp
— Kenny Chiou (@kchiou) March 17, 2019