image: This is a pregnant viviparous lizard, Phrynocephalus vlangalii. view more
Credit: Wei-Wei Zhou
A comparison of genomic and transcriptomic data between two closely related species of lizards--one that lays eggs and one that gives birth to live young--identified marked differences in gene expression patterns throughout the reproductive cycle, including in genes relevant for eggshell reduction, placental development, embryo attachment, egg retention, and immune tolerance of the embryo, thereby accounting for each major aspect of the transition from laying eggs to giving live birth.
Article #18-16086: "Genomic and transcriptomic investigations of the evolutionary transition from oviparity to viviparity," by Wei Gao et al.
MEDIA CONTACT: Jing Che, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, CHINA; tel: +86-871-68125517; e-mail: chej@mail.kiz.ac.cn
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