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Updated: Mar 21, 2026

An Experimental Approach to Investigating Effects of Artificial Light at Night on Free-Ranging Animals: Implementation, Results, and Directions for Future Research

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Adaptation to nocturnality - learning from avian genomes.

Diana Le Duc^1,2, Torsten Schöneberg¹

¹Medical Faculty, Rudolf Schönheimer Institute of Biochemistry, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany.

Bioessays : News and Reviews in Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology

|May 13, 2016

Summary

Comparative genomics reveals early genetic changes enabling bird adaptation to nocturnal life. This review explores methods for identifying genes driving adaptation to low-light environments.

Keywords:

adaptation genome sequencing nocturnality

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Area of Science:

Evolutionary biology
Genomics
Ornithology

Background:

Multiple avian genomes are now available, enabling comparative genomics.
Nocturnal adaptation in birds is a recent evolutionary event, unlike in mammals.
Birds are ideal models for studying early genetic adaptations to dim-light environments.

Purpose of the Study:

To review comparative genomics approaches for understanding avian adaptation to nocturnality.
To highlight methods for identifying genetic changes associated with adaptation to low-light environments.
To discuss the utility of avian genomes in evolutionary studies.

Main Methods:

Comparative genomics analyses.
Scans for genetic changes and signatures of selection.
Evaluation of data-driven and hypothesis-driven research approaches.

Main Results:

Comparative genomics can identify genetic mechanisms of adaptation to nocturnality.
Both data-driven and hypothesis-driven approaches yield candidate genes for adaptation.
The Genome 10K Project will enhance understanding of avian evolution.

Conclusions:

Avian genomes offer a powerful resource for studying evolutionary adaptation.
Understanding genetic changes in nocturnal birds provides insights into adaptation processes.
Comparative genomics is crucial for unraveling the genetic basis of adaptation.