Article
Museum genomics links MC1R alleles to adaptive winter coat color polymorphism in the long-tailed weasel.
Evolution; international journal of organic evolution - 7 Sept 2026
Pimenta João, Miranda Inês, Farelo Liliana, Alvarenga Marcela Maki, Mills L Scott, Melo-Ferreira José
Abstract excerpt
Understanding the architecture of biological adaptations is a major endeavor of evolutionary biology. Using Natural History collections, we study the genetic basis and evolution of white/brown winter coat color variation in the long-tailed weasel (Neogale frenata), a crucial phenological adaptation for camouflage in habitats with seasonal snow. We produced whole-genome sequencing data for museum specimens, along...
Read the complete abstract on PubMedTopics
- Receptor, Melanocortin, Type 1
- Animals
- Seasons
- Polymorphism, Genetic
- Pigmentation
- Alleles