Why are whales big? Genes behind ocean giants

Why are whales big? Genes behind ocean giants

Gigantism is prevalent in animals, but it has never reached more extreme levels than in aquatic mammals such as whales, dolphins, and porpoises. A new study by Silva et al. has uncovered five genes underlying this gigantism, a phenotype with important connections to aging and cancer suppression in l...

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Veröffentlicht in:Trends in genetics 2023-06, Vol.39 (6), p.436-438
Hauptverfasser: Magpali, Letícia, Bielawski, Joseph P.
Format: Artikel
Sprache:eng
Schlagworte:
Animals
cancer
cetaceans
gigantism
mammals
molecular evolution
Neoplasms - genetics
Oceans and Seas
Peto’s paradox
Whales - genetics
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Zusammenfassung:Gigantism is prevalent in animals, but it has never reached more extreme levels than in aquatic mammals such as whales, dolphins, and porpoises. A new study by Silva et al. has uncovered five genes underlying this gigantism, a phenotype with important connections to aging and cancer suppression in long-lived animals.
ISSN:0168-9525
DOI:10.1016/j.tig.2023.03.005