Deciphering the genomic signatures of climate vulnerability across 77 sheep breeds

Abstract Among domesticated species, sheep ( Ovis aries ) have achieved a wide geographic distribution due to their mobility, rusticity and ability to adapt to diverse environments and climatic conditions. Here, we characterise the genome-wide diversity of >1,000 sheep representing 77 autochthonous breeds spanning North Africa to Scandinavia using high-density genotype data. To provide a large-scale assessment of population vulnerability to climate change, we combine uni- and multivariate gene-environment association analyses, and quantify the deviation of the current genomic make-up of populations from that necessary for maintaining adaptation under climate change (genomic offset). We identify precipitation as a major driver of divergent selection and identify candidate adaptive loci overlapping genes with pleiotropic roles linking renal water balance and metabolic regulation, including glucose and insulin-related pathways. This coupling of osmoregulatory and metabolic functions likely underpins adaptation to variable drought regimes and extreme, fluctuating environments. Notably, genomic offset hot spots are identified in southwestern Europe, highlighting the need for targeted management to mitigate the effects of climate change on animal welfare and production in these regions. These findings shed light on the strategies for climate adaptation in sheep and provide insights for informed breeding programmes aimed at enhancing resilience in changing climate conditions.

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Journal
Communications Biology
Published
2026-09-18
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1038/s42003-026-10917-2
Primary Topic
Genetic and phenotypic traits in livestock
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article
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article

Deciphering the genomic signatures of climate vulnerability across 77 sheep breeds

Rudolf Preisinger, O. Cortés, Eve Rannamäe, F. Pizzi et al.
Communications Biology
Genetic and phenotypic traits in livestock
article

Deciphering the genomic signatures of climate vulnerability across 77 sheep breeds

Rudolf Preisinger, O. Cortés, Eve Rannamäe, F. Pizzi, Cyriel Paris, Urmas Saarma, Elisa Somenzi, Pablo Orozco‐terWengel, David Cavero Pintado, Carlos Edmundo Lucero Casanova, Anna M. Johansson, Denis Laloe, Stéphane Joost, E. Verrier, Badr Benjelloun, Krisztina Liptói, M. Ibnelbachyr, Linn F. Groeneveld, L. M. Melucci, Delphine Duclos, María Wurzinger, Alessandra Stella, H. Woelders, Barbara Lazzari, Dominic Moran, J. L. Williams, W. F. Kugler, Andrea Caprera, Paolo Ajmone‐Marsan, Javier Canon, Peer Berg, Anneli Ärmpalu-Idvand, Bouda Vosough Ahmadi, Mario Barbato, Élisabeth Blesbois, Judit Barna, Mouad Chentouf, Gwenola Tosser‐Klopp, Elia Vajana, Bertrand Servin, Licia Colli, Susana Dunner, Paola Crepaldi, Oliver Selmoni, E. Martyniuk, R. Crooijmans, Tiziana Sechi, A. Carta, Steffen Weigend, A. Teixeira, Johann Sölkner, Çağla Yüksel Kaya Kuyululu, M. R. Lanari, Julián Santiago Moreno, MICHEL NAVES, Beate Berger, Carole Moreno, Irene Hoffmann, Antoine Doré, Tessa Brinker, Luís Telo da Gama, Coralie Danchin, Paul Boettcher, Jun Fan, Paolo Cozzi, Mike Mcgrew, Laura Clarke, Paul Flicek, Martien Groenen, Harmen Doekes, Maria Trinidad Pérez Méndez, Michèle Tixier-Boichard, Rodrigo Martínez, Sipke Joost Hiemstra, Anouk Schurink, Simon Boitard, Hendrik-Jan Megens, Gábor Mészáros, Eildert Groeneveld, Andreia Amaral, Hayat Lionboui, Henner Simianer, Diego Galarza, Milagros C. Esteso, Ahmed R. A. Elbeltagy, Jack J. Windig, Maria Bernard, Peter Harrison, Irina Carpusca, Roswitha Baumung
article en

Abstract

Abstract Among domesticated species, sheep ( Ovis aries ) have achieved a wide geographic distribution due to their mobility, rusticity and ability to adapt to diverse environments and climatic conditions. Here, we characterise the genome-wide diversity of >1,000 sheep representing 77 autochthonous breeds spanning North Africa to Scandinavia using high-density genotype data. To provide a large-scale assessment of population vulnerability to climate change, we combine uni- and multivariate gene-environment association analyses, and quantify the deviation of the current genomic make-up of populations from that necessary for maintaining adaptation under climate change (genomic offset). We identify precipitation as a major driver of divergent selection and identify candidate adaptive loci overlapping genes with pleiotropic roles linking renal water balance and metabolic regulation, including glucose and insulin-related pathways. This coupling of osmoregulatory and metabolic functions likely underpins adaptation to variable drought regimes and extreme, fluctuating environments. Notably, genomic offset hot spots are identified in southwestern Europe, highlighting the need for targeted management to mitigate the effects of climate change on animal welfare and production in these regions. These findings shed light on the strategies for climate adaptation in sheep and provide insights for informed breeding programmes aimed at enhancing resilience in changing climate conditions.

Communications Biology
Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore (IT), University of Messina (IT), Universidad Complutense de Madrid (ES), Mohammed V University (MA), University of Vienna (AT), European Bioinformatics Institute (GB), Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut (DE), Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (IT), University of Lisbon (PT), Universidad de Oviedo (ES), Warsaw University of Life Sciences (PL), University of Milan (IT), Carnegie Institution for Science (US), AgroParisTech (FR), Scotland's Rural College (GB), Université Paris-Saclay (FR), Parco Tecnologico Padano (IT), Nord University (NO), Forum of European National Highway Research Laboratories (BE), Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SE), Institut National de Recherche pour l'Agriculture, l'Alimentation et l'Environnement (FR), Stichting Hout Research (Netherlands) (NL), Polytechnic Institute of Bragança (PT), Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique du Niger (NE), Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria (ES), Lohmann Tierzucht (Germany) (DE), Institute of Biosciences and Bioresources (IT), Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (HU), Institut de l’Elevage (FR), Institute of Agricultural Biology and Biotechnology (IT), Département Génétique Animale (FR), Universitätsmedizin Göttingen (DE), Centre for BioSystems Genomics (NL), INRA Transfert (France) (FR), Sardegna Agricoltura (IT), Eesti Reumatoloogia Selts (EE), Génétique Animale et Biologie Intégrative (FR), Colombian Corporation for Agricultural Research - AGROSAVIA (CO), Norwegian Beekeepers Association (NO), National Agricultural Technology Institute (AR), Génétique Physiologie et Systèmes d'Elevage (FR), National Research Council (IT), Animal Health Research Institute (TW), Leibniz Institute for Financial Research SAFE (DE), École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (CH), University of Tartu (EE), University of Göttingen (DE), Cardiff University (GB), Wageningen University & Research (NL), BOKU University (AT), University of Edinburgh (GB)
Climate action
Openalex Percentile: Top 11%
Genetic and phenotypic traits in livestock
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