The Genomic Basis of the Svalbard Reindeer's Adaptation to an Extreme Arctic Environment

Studying adaptation to extreme climates is essential for understanding evolutionary processes and how species evolve and persist under changing environmental conditions, such as climate warming. Here, we investigate the genomic basis of adaptations in the Svalbard reindeer (Rangifer tarandus platyrhynchus), an endemic subspecies that colonized the High Arctic approximately 7,000 years ago and developed a suite of adaptations for survival under conditions of extreme cold, changes in day length, and resource scarcity. Applying scans of selection, functional analysis of coding region variation, and characterization of copy number variation across reindeer populations from Svalbard, mainland Norway, mainland Russia, and Novaya Zemlya, our comparative genomics approach identified 150 genomic regions that are differentiated in Svalbard reindeer relative to mainland reindeer (R. tarandus). These genomic regions include genes linked to fat metabolism, energy conservation, cold tolerance, body size, fur morphology, and seasonal circadian rhythm. Our study highlights the advantages of using distinct approaches to uncover the genomic basis of adaptations and provides a path for future research into the evolution of species in similar environments.

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Publication Details

Journal
Genome Biology and Evolution
Published
2025-08-12
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1093/gbe/evaf160
Citations
1
Primary Topic
Indigenous Studies and Ecology
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
2.82

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article

The Genomic Basis of the Svalbard Reindeer's Adaptation to an Extreme Arctic Environment

Leif Egil Loe, Xin Sun, John R. Speakman, Nicolás Dussex et al.
1 citations
Genome Biology and Evolution
Indigenous Studies and Ecology
2.82
article

The Genomic Basis of the Svalbard Reindeer's Adaptation to an Extreme Arctic Environment

Leif Egil Loe, Xin Sun, John R. Speakman, Nicolás Dussex, Vanessa C. Bieker, Erik Ersmark, Mathilde Le Moullec, Michael D. Martin, Brage Bremset Hansen, Love Dalén, Knut H. Røed
article en
1 citations

Abstract

Studying adaptation to extreme climates is essential for understanding evolutionary processes and how species evolve and persist under changing environmental conditions, such as climate warming. Here, we investigate the genomic basis of adaptations in the Svalbard reindeer (Rangifer tarandus platyrhynchus), an endemic subspecies that colonized the High Arctic approximately 7,000 years ago and developed a suite of adaptations for survival under conditions of extreme cold, changes in day length, and resource scarcity. Applying scans of selection, functional analysis of coding region variation, and characterization of copy number variation across reindeer populations from Svalbard, mainland Norway, mainland Russia, and Novaya Zemlya, our comparative genomics approach identified 150 genomic regions that are differentiated in Svalbard reindeer relative to mainland reindeer (R. tarandus). These genomic regions include genes linked to fat metabolism, energy conservation, cold tolerance, body size, fur morphology, and seasonal circadian rhythm. Our study highlights the advantages of using distinct approaches to uncover the genomic basis of adaptations and provides a path for future research into the evolution of species in similar environments.

Genome Biology and EvolutionVol. 17(9)
Stockholm University (SE), University of Aberdeen (GB), Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NO), Swedish Museum of Natural History (SE), Evolutionary Genomics (United States) (US), Vitensenteret i Trondheim (NO), Grønlands Naturinstitut (GL), Norwegian Biodiversity Information Centre (NO), Centre for Palaeogenetics (SE), Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NO), Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NO)
Knut och Alice Wallenbergs Stiftelse, Vetenskapsrådet, Norges Forskningsråd, Science for Life Laboratory
Openalex Percentile: Top 9%
Indigenous Studies and Ecology
2.82
DOIOpen Access PDFOpenAlex
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