Molecular footprints of inshore aquatic adaptation in Indo-Pacific humpback dolphin (Sousa chinensis)

The Indo-Pacific humpback dolphin, Sousa chinensis, being a member of cetaceans, had fully adapted to inshore waters. As a threatened marine mammal, little molecular information available for understanding the genetic basis of ecological adaptation. We firstly sequenced and obtained the draft genome map of S. chinensis. Phylogenetic analysis in this study, based on the single copy orthologous genes of the draft genome, is consistent with traditional phylogenetic classification. The comparative genomic analysis indicated that S. chinensis had 494 species-specific gene families, which involved immune, DNA repair and sensory systems associated with the potential adaption mechanism. We also identified the expansion and positive selection genes in S. chinensis lineage to investigate the potential adaptation mechanism. Our study provided the potential insight into the molecular bases of ecological adaptation in Indo-Pacific humpback dolphin and will be also valuable for future understanding the ecological adaptation and evolution of cetaceans at the genomic level.