Its characteristic “gluglú” can be heard from up to 1.6 km away in the forest. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pbio.1000475 7 September 2010 Authors: Andrea Jiménez García, Laura Macaya Coscollola, Monica Ballester Carbonell, Nicolás Anguita Leiva
Kingdom: Animalia
Coconut rhinoceros beetle
The coconut rhinoceros beetle is one of the biggest beetles yet found, with an enormous horn. This horn is the reason for its name. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12864-022-08628-z June/07/2022 Authors: Lucía Ramos Sapena, Ángela Reinón Miguel, María Villena Jiménez
Weddell seal
Leptonychotes weddellii, the Weddell seal, is one of the world’s southernmost mammals and can dive for up to ~90 minutes and over 300 m deep. Its genome reveals strong adaptations in lipid metabolism and hypoxia-tolerance enabling deep, cold dives. DOI: 10.1038/s42003-022-03089-2; published on 17/02/2022. Authors: Iker Álvarez Coca, Jone Eizagirre Galarraga, Júlia Pérez Vilardell, Nerea Rubio…
Golden/Syrian hamster
Mesocricetus auratus is a key model in biomedical research. Its genome closely resembles that of humans in genes related to diseases such as COVID-19. When infected with SARS-CoV-2, it reduces energy consumption and body temperature, reproducing human symptoms and helping to understand how the virus affects metabolism. Authors: Carme Cañizares Bruguera, Xiomara García Marcos, Lorena…
Brown bear
Brown bears can enter a metabolic state similar to hibernation even outside the cave, and their genome reveals genes associated with the ability to “switch off” processes such as muscle degradation and bone loss. This makes them a fascinating biological model for studying human diseases such as osteoporosis or muscle atrophy, as they spend months…
Pashmina goat
Capra hirucs, commonly know as the Pashmina goat, is a domestic breed from the Indian Himalayas, known for its fine fiber and extreme cold and high-altitude adpatation. Its genome is about 2.94Gb, contains 26,687 coding genes, and has a high proportion of repetive DNA (49%). DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2021.695178 Authors: Hong Ting Martin Martínez, Laia Sanchez Albareda,…
Egyptian spiny mouse
Acomys cahirinus, known as Egyptian spiny mouse, is remarkable for its ability to heal tissues, regenerate organs and restore skeletal muscle. In addition, it is one of the few rodent species that menstruates, a highly unusual trait in this group. DOI: 10.1093/g3journal/jkad177 Publication date: 08/08/2023 Authors: Ainhoa Llambies Roig, Naila Lorente Gil, Noelia Bellón izquierdo,…
Snow leopard
Panthera uncia, the snow leopard, is a solitary and elusive big cat adapted to cold mountainous regions, with thick fur, powerful limbs, and a long tail that aids in balance. Its genome reveals adaptations to high-altitude environments, such as genes related to oxygen transport and energy metabolism, as well as evolutionary links to other big…
Mexican Wolf
Canis lupus baileyi, the Mexican gray wolf, is the smallest subspecies of the gray wolf, known for its mottled coat, social pack behavior, and role as a top predator in its ecosystem. Its genome reveals low genetic diversity due to a severe population bottleneck, but also contains unique adaptations that reflect its historical range and…
Lowland anoa
Bubalus depressicornis, the lowland anoa, is a wild dwarf buffalo endemic to Indonesia. Its genome provides evolutionary data on wild species of the genus Bubalus, as well as information on the similarities and differences between them and domestic species. https://doi.org/10.1093/g3journal/jkac234 September/16/2022 Authors: Rubén Lorenzo Martínez, Luna Lozano Sanchez, Carla Martin Rodriguez, Lara Martínez De la…