Journal article
Genetic Adaptation in New York City Rats
Genome biology and evolution, v 13(1), evaa247
07 Jan 2021
PMID: 33211096
Featured in Collection : UN Sustainable Development Goals @ Drexel
Abstract
Abstract
Brown rats (Rattus norvegicus) thrive in urban environments by navigating the anthropocentric environment and taking advantage of human resources and by-products. From the human perspective, rats are a chronic problem that causes billions of dollars in damage to agriculture, health, and infrastructure. Did genetic adaptation play a role in the spread of rats in cities? To approach this question, we collected whole-genome sequences from 29 brown rats from New York City (NYC) and scanned for genetic signatures of adaptation. We tested for 1) high-frequency, extended haplotypes that could indicate selective sweeps and 2) loci of extreme genetic differentiation between the NYC sample and a sample from the presumed ancestral range of brown rats in northeast China. We found candidate selective sweeps near or inside genes associated with metabolism, diet, the nervous system, and locomotory behavior. Patterns of differentiation between NYC and Chinese rats at putative sweep loci suggest that many sweeps began after the split from the ancestral population. Together, our results suggest several hypotheses on adaptation in rats living in proximity to humans.
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Details
- Title
- Genetic Adaptation in New York City Rats
- Creators
- Arbel Harpak - Columbia UniversityNandita Garud - University of California, Los AngelesNoah A Rosenberg - Stanford UniversityDmitri A Petrov - Stanford UniversityMatthew Combs - Fordham UniversityPleuni S Pennings - San Francisco State UniversityJason Munshi-South - Fordham University
- Publication Details
- Genome biology and evolution, v 13(1), evaa247
- Publisher
- Oxford University Press
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Language
- English
- Academic Unit
- Biodiversity, Earth, and Environmental Science (BEES)
- Web of Science ID
- WOS:000637190500012
- Scopus ID
- 2-s2.0-85102221750
- Other Identifier
- 991021904448104721
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- Collaboration types
- Domestic collaboration
- Web of Science research areas
- Evolutionary Biology
- Genetics & Heredity