title: Molecular evolution tracks macroevolutionary transitions in Cetacea.
abstract: Cetacea (whales, dolphins, and porpoises) is a model group for investigating the molecular signature of macroevolutionary transitions. Recent research has begun to reveal the molecular underpinnings of the remarkable anatomical and behavioral transformation in this clade. This shift from terrestrial to aquatic environments is arguably the best-understood major morphological transition in vertebrate evolution. The ancestral body plan and physiology were extensively modified and, in many cases, these crucial changes are recorded in cetacean genomes. Recent studies have highlighted cetaceans as central to understanding adaptive molecular convergence and pseudogene formation. Here, we review current research in cetacean molecular evolution and the potential of Cetacea as a model for the study of other macroevolutionary transitions from a genomic perspective.
authors.affiliation: Center for Molecular Medicine and Genetics, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI 48201, USA. Electronic address: 1mmcgowen1@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Michael R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: McGowen
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, University of California-Riverside, Riverside, CA 92521, USA.
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gatesy
authors.affiliation: Center for Molecular Medicine and Genetics, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI 48201, USA.
authors.forename: Derek E
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Wildman
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005075:Biological Evolution; D002591:Cetacea / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology*; D004242:Diving; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D009211:Myoglobin / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology*; D010802:Phylogeny; D012677:Sensation / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D009211:Myoglobin
keywords: aquatic adaptation; convergence; pseudogenes; sensory genes; whale