Genes lost during vampire bats’ evolution may have helped them to adapt to their exclusive blood diet which is high in iron and fluid and low in calories
Advertisementat the Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics in Germany and his colleagues sequenced the common vampire bat genome and compared it with the genomes of 26 other bat species.
They discovered that the vampire bats are missing 13 genes that are found in other bats. The loss of these during their evolution may have occurred as they adapted to their unique diet, says Blumer. For example, three of the lost genes are responsible for taste receptors that tell different foods apart, which is redundant if you only feast on blood.
Two other genes that the bats have shed are normally involved in managing blood sugar levels – called glycaemic control. “We think that the blood diet of vampire bats is so limited in carbohydrates that vampire bats have lost normal glycaemic control,” says Blumer.– may have occurred to allow the vampire bats to increase the amount of iron they can excrete, since their iron-rich blood diet puts them at risk of becoming overloaded with the mineral.
“Vampire bats are especially dependent on such advanced social behaviour, as it helps them to cope with the negative consequences of their carbohydrate-poor blood diet,” says Blumer. For example, the animals commonly share regurgitated blood with roost mates that haven’t been able to find a nightly meal, suggesting a high degree of social cooperation, he says.
Ireland Latest News, Ireland Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Lost Genes Explain Vampire Bats’ Diet of BloodTo survive on nutrient-poor blood, less can sometimes be more
Read more »
Lost genes may help explain how vampire bats survive on blood aloneThe 13 identified genes underpin a range of physiological and behavioral strategies that the bats have evolved.
Read more »
How vampire bats evolved to get the most out of their bloody dietsBlood doesn't have a lot of nutrients, but certain missing genes in vampire bats hint at how they've adapted to stomach their meals.
Read more »
Lost Genes Explain Vampire Bats’ Diet of BloodTo survive on nutrient-poor blood, less can sometimes be more
Read more »
Gene losses allow vampire bats to live solely on a diet of blood | EngadgetScientists detail the loss of 13 genes in the blood-sucking mammals..
Read more »