Neotoma stephensi genome sequencing

Stephen's woodrat (Neotoma stephensi), unlike most woodrats in the genus Neotoma, is an obligate specialist, feeding primarily on the terpene-rich leaves of Juniperus monosperma and J. osteosperma. To better understand the genetic mechanisms associated with adaptation to this extremely narrow diet, we sequenced spleen tissue from a single male N. stephensi using PacBio HiFi technology. This allowed us to construct a highly complete genome assembly for this species. We were also able to compare our results with two previously published genomes from more generalist Neotoma species, enabling us to study the evolutionary trajectory of several biotransformation gene families within this genus.