Whole-genome sequencing reveals adaptations of hairy-footed jerboas (Dipus, Dipodidae) to diverse desert environments

Abstract

Abstract Background Environmental conditions vary among deserts across the world, spanning from hyper-arid to high-elevation deserts. However, prior genomic studies on desert adaptation have focused on desert and non-desert comparisons overlooking the complexity of conditions within deserts. Focusing on the adaptation mechanisms to diverse desert environments will advance our understanding of how species adapt to extreme desert environments. The hairy-footed jerboas are well adapted to diverse desert environments, inhabiting high-altitude arid regions, hyper-arid deserts, and semi-deserts, but the genetic basis of their adaptation to different deserts remains unknown. Results Here, we sequenced the whole genome of 83 hairy-footed jerboas from distinct desert zones in China to assess how they responded under contrasting conditions. Population genomics analyses reveal the existence of three species in hairy-footed jerboas distributed in China: Dipus deasyi, Dipus sagitta, and Dipus sowerbyi. Analyses of selection between high-altitude desert (elevation ≥ 3000m) and low-altitude desert ( 360mm) populations. Hyper-arid desert animals also exhibited stronger adaptive selection in energy homeostasis, suggesting water and resource scarcity may be the main drivers of desert adaptation in hairy-footed jerboas. Conclusions Our study challenges the view of deserts as homogeneous environments and shows that distinct genomic adaptations can be found among desert animals depending on their habitats.

Keywords

• Dipus
• High-altitude adaptation
• Hyper-arid adaptation
• Energy homeostasis
• Water balance
• Population genomics