Comparative analysis of the domestic cat genome reveals genetic signatures underlying feline biology and domestication

Little is known about the genetic changes that distinguish domestic cat populations from their wild progenitors. Here we describe a high-quality domestic cat reference genome assembly and comparative inferences made with other cat breeds, wildcats, and other mammals. Based upon these comparisons, we identified positively selected genes enriched for genes involved in lipid metabolism that underpin adaptations to a hypercarnivorous diet. We also found positive selection signals within genes underlying sensory processes, especially those affecting vision and hearing in the carnivore lineage. We observed an evolutionary tradeoff between functional olfactory and vomeronasal receptor gene repertoires in the cat and dog genomes, with an expansion of the feline chemosensory system for detecting pheromones at the expense of odorant detection. Genomic regions harboring signatures of natural selection that distinguish domestic cats from their wild congeners are enriched in neural crest-related genes associated with behavior and reward in mouse models, as predicted by the domestication syndrome hypothesis. Our description of a previously unidentified allele for the gloving pigmentation pattern found in the Birman breed supports the hypothesis that cat breeds experienced strong selection on specific mutations drawn from random bred populations. Collectively, these findings provide insight into how the process of domestication altered the ancestral wildcat genome and build a resource for future disease mapping and phylogenomic studies across all members of the Felidae

Capturing the likeness of Henry I of Haiti (1805–1822)

This article explores the role played by representations of General Henry Christophe, later King Henry I of Haiti, in relations between Great Britain and the section of independent Haiti he led in the first quarter of the nineteenth century. In these early years, when France threatened to try and recover its former colony by force, relations with Great Britain were essential to the survival of the new country. Led by those British merchants who had early built commercial ties with Haiti, Great Britain looked with a mixture of wariness and interest on Haiti at large and Henry in particular. This article argues that English representations of Henry in turn gave the Haitian leader cues as to how to portray himself for British audiences. In order to gain diplomatic recognition, Henry I of Haiti self-consciously made himself recognizable to British eyes, playing up those aspects of his persona most palatable to the English. Henry’s exchanges with England have often been seen as proof of genuine Anglophilia on his part; this article analyzes them as a strategic effort dedicated to swaying English public opinion in his support by portraying him as a product of English influence. The discussion of a lost portrait of the king – rediscovered in archival research – demonstrates that domestic representations of King Henry appealed to profoundly different expectations. Drawing on the latest works in Haitian Revolutionary Studies by Deborah Jenson and Chris Bongie, this article contends that with his portraits Henry of Haiti pieced together a complex, ambivalent political bid by which he hoped to gain the recognition of England while retaining that of the black world

Gene content evolution in the arthropods

Arthropods comprise the largest and most diverse phylum on Earth and play vital roles in nearly every ecosystem. Their diversity stems in part from variations on a conserved body plan, resulting from and recorded in adaptive changes in the genome. Dissection of the genomic record of sequence change enables broad questions regarding genome evolution to be addressed, even across hyper-diverse taxa within arthropods. Using 76 whole genome sequences representing 21 orders spanning more than 500 million years of arthropod evolution, we document changes in gene and protein domain content and provide temporal and phylogenetic context for interpreting these innovations. We identify many novel gene families that arose early in the evolution of arthropods and during the diversification of insects into modern orders. We reveal unexpected variation in patterns of DNA methylation across arthropods and examples of gene family and protein domain evolution coincident with the appearance of notable phenotypic and physiological adaptations such as flight, metamorphosis, sociality, and chemoperception. These analyses demonstrate how large-scale comparative genomics can provide broad new insights into the genotype to phenotype map and generate testable hypotheses about the evolution of animal diversity