Convergent genomic signatures associated with vertebrate viviparity

Viviparity—live birth—is a complex and innovative mode of reproduction
that has evolved repeatedly across the vertebrate Tree of Life. The
genetic basis of viviparity has garnered increasing interest over recent
years, however such studies are often undertaken on small evolutionary
timelines, and thus are not able to address changes occurring on a broader
scale. Using whole genome data, we investigated the molecular basis of
this innovation across the diversity of vertebrates to answer a long held
question in evolutionary biology: is the evolution of convergent traits
driven by convergent genomic changes? This dataset includes the scripts
and files used to investigate the genomic basis of viviparity in
vertebrates. Specifically, we use genome alignments to investigate changes
to protein families, protein-coding regions, introns and untranslated
regions (UTRs). We assess changes in the sizes of protein families, as
well as analyse differences in substitution rates in coding and noncoding
sequences.