POSTER ABSTRACTS
#5 Canfam_ADS: De novo chromosome-length genome assembly of the Australian Alpine Dingo with comparisons to the Desert Dingo and modern bred dogs
J. William O Ballard b.ballard@gmail.com La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia
Dingoes are an early offshoot of domestic dogs and Australia’s top order predator. The exact origin(s) and people(s) who transported the canines that became dingoes to Australia is debated, but it has been suggested they arrived by boat ~5,000-8,000 BP. Published morphological and genetic evidence has established the presence of at least two dingo lineages. The Alpine dingo is commonly found in south-eastern Australia while the Desert ecotype is found in the north, central and western Australia. Dingoes have never been reported in Tasmania. Here, we provide the draft genome sequence of a healthy Alpine dingo female as a reference for future ecological, evolutionary, and anthropological studies. We generated this improved canid reference genome (Canfam_ADS) utilizing a combination of Pacific Bioscience, Oxford Nanopore, 10X Genomics, BioNano, and Hi-C technologies. This resource will enable further research into dingo ecology, the arrival of dingoes into Australia, and most generally the evolutionary relationships of canids.
#6 Quantifying Bengal cat coat color pattern variation
Brynn M. Brady1, Anthony D. Hutcherson2, Kelly McGowan1,3,Gregory S. Barsh1,3 , and Christopher B. Kaelin1,3 brynn.mcgowan.brady@gmail.com 1Department of Genetics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA. 2The International Cat Association, Harlingen, Texas, USA. 3HudsonAlpha Institute of Biotechnology, Huntsville, AL, USA Genetic studies of coat color patterns in cats serve as models to study patterning in other, less accessible contexts such as palatal rugae and intestinal villus organization. Bengal cats, a hybrid species derived from the domestic cat and Asian leopard cat, have ornate patterns that vary in quantifiable ways. We took advantage of the interspecies variation in Bengal cat patterning to investigate the genetic underpinnings of pattern development. Using quantitative image analysis, we measured four features in Bengal patterning: spot circumference, spot area, spot density, and number of spots. The phenotypic variation subjectively observed among Bengal patterns is captured in our quantitative measures. In addition, measurements for all traits are normally distributed, and the size and number of spots are correlated. Using a model based on genetic heritability in twin studies, we found the size and number of spots in a Bengal’s pattern to be highly heritable. Genome-wide association studies revealed several loci that contribute to trait variation in the Bengal pattern. This study highlights hereditary components of Bengal cat patterning and contributes to our understanding of how color patterns arise in other mammals.
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