Data_Sheet_1_Genome Sequence of Peacock Reveals the Peculiar Case of a Glittering Bird.docx

The unique ornamental features and extreme sexual traits of Peacock have always intrigued scientists and naturalists for centuries. However, the genomic basis of these phenotypes are yet unknown. Here, we report the first genome sequence and comparative analysis of peacock with the high quality genomes of chicken, turkey, duck, flycatcher and zebra finch. Genes involved in early developmental pathways including TGF-β, BMP, and Wnt signaling, which have been shown to be involved in feather patterning, bone morphogenesis, and skeletal muscle development, revealed signs of adaptive evolution and provided useful clues on the phenotypes of peacock. Innate and adaptive immune genes involved in complement system and T-cell response also showed signs of adaptive evolution in peacock suggesting their possible role in building a robust immune system which is consistent with the predictions of the Hamilton–Zuk hypothesis. This study provides novel genomic and evolutionary insights into the molecular understanding toward the phenotypic evolution of Indian peacock.

孔雀独特的装饰性特征及其极端的性别特征，自数世纪以来始终吸引着科学家和自然学家。然而，这些表型的基因组基础至今尚属未知。在本研究中，我们首次报道了孔雀的全基因组序列及其与鸡、火鸡、鸭、欧歌鸫和斑马雀高质量基因组的比较分析。涉及早期发育途径的基因，包括TGF-β、BMP和Wnt信号通路，这些通路已被证明与羽毛图案、骨骼形态发生和骨骼肌发育有关，揭示了适应性进化的迹象，并为孔雀表型提供了有益的线索。参与补体系统和T细胞反应的先天性和适应性免疫基因在孔雀中也显示出适应性进化的迹象，这表明它们可能在构建与汉密尔顿-祖克假设预测一致的强大免疫系统方面发挥可能的作用。本研究为印度孔雀表型演化的分子理解提供了新的基因组学和进化学见解。