Daniel E Chavez, Ilan Gronau, Taylor Hains, Rebecca B Dikow, Paul B Frandsen, Henrique V Figueiró, Fabrício S Garcez, Ligia Tchaicka, Rogério C de Paula, Flávio H G Rodrigues, Rodrigo S P Jorge, Edson S Lima, Nucharin Songsasen, Warren E Johnson, Eduardo Eizirik, Klaus-Peter Koepfli, Robert K Wayne
The remarkable radiation of South American (SA) canids produced 10 extant species distributed across diverse habitats, including disparate forms such as the short-legged, hypercarnivorous bush dog and the long-legged, largely frugivorous maned wolf. Despite considerable research spanning nearly two centuries, many aspects of their evolutionary history remain unknown. Here, we analyzed 31 whole genomes encompassing all extant SA canid species to assess phylogenetic relationships, interspecific hybridization, historical demography, current genetic diversity, and the molecular bases of adaptations in the bush dog and maned wolf...
August 23, 2022: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America