genomes

Genomic tools may help provide some fundamental predictability regarding adaptive evolution in fruit flies. Martin Cooper

Fly Genomes Provide Clues to Parallel Evolution

Posted by Greg Watry on November 27, 2017
Ecology and Environment
In a paper appearing in PLOS Genetics, Professor David Begun, Department of Evolution and Ecology in the UC Davis College of Biological Sciences, compared the genomes of different fly species to understand how genes—both within and between species—evolve adaptively. He found that two fly species that diverged from a common ancestor some 50 million years ago, exhibited parallel evolution on both short- and long-term timescales.
Holstein cattle at the UC Davis Dairy Facility. Chromosomes from a legendary bull born in 1962 account for almost 14 percent of the genome in the current Holstein population in the United States. A genetic mutation traced back to that bull, Pawnee Farm Arlinda Chief, is thought to be responsible for an estimated 500,000 spontaneous abortions in Holstein cattle worldwide. (Gregory Urquiaga/UC Davis)

How a Genetic Mutation From 1 Bull Caused the Loss of Half a Million Calves Worldwide

Posted by Lisa Howard on October 17, 2016
Food, Agriculture and Plant Biology
Pawnee Farm Arlinda Chief was one of the most prolific bulls in the history of Holstein cattle breeding — but he also introduced a lethal gene into the population, responsible for an estimated half million spontaneous abortions worldwide. Now researchers have identified the mutation responsible, enabling ranchers to test for and avoid it.
Subscribe to genomes