Genetic architecture and evolution of color variation in American black bears

E. Puckett; I. S. Davis; D. C. Harper; K. Wakamatsu; G. Battu; J. L. Belant; D. E. Beyer; C. Carpenter; A. P. Crupi; M. Davidson; C. S. DePerno; N. Forman; N. L. Fowler; D. L. Garshelis; N. Gould; K. Gunther; Mark A. Haroldson; S. Ito; David. M Kocka; C. Lackey; R. Leahy; C. Lee-Roney; T. Lewis; A. Lutto; K. McGowan; C. Olfenbuttel; M. Orlando; A. Platt; M. D. Pollard; M. Ramaker; Heather Reich; Jaime L. Sajecki; S. K. Sell; J. Strules; S. Thompson; Frank T. van Manen; Craig Whitman; R. Williamson; F. Winslow; C. B. Kaelin; M. S. Marks; G. S. Barsh

doi:10.1016/j.cub.2022.11.042

Genetic architecture and evolution of color variation in American black bears

Current Biology

By: E. Puckett, I. S. Davis, D. C. Harper, K. Wakamatsu, G. Battu, J. L. Belant, D. E. Beyer, C. Carpenter, A. P. Crupi, M. Davidson, C. S. DePerno, N. Forman, N. L. Fowler, D. L. Garshelis, N. Gould, K. Gunther, Mark A. Haroldson, S. Ito, David. M Kocka, C. Lackey, R. Leahy, C. Lee-Roney, T. Lewis, A. Lutto, K. McGowan, C. Olfenbuttel, M. Orlando, A. Platt, M. D. Pollard, M. Ramaker, Heather Reich, Jaime L. Sajecki, S. K. Sell, J. Strules, S. Thompson, Frank T. van Manen, Craig Whitman, R. Williamson, F. Winslow, C. B. Kaelin, M. S. Marks, and G. S. Barsh

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2022.11.042

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Abstract

Color variation is a frequent evolutionary substrate for camouflage in small mammals, but the underlying genetics and evolutionary forces that drive color variation in natural populations of large mammals are mostly unexplained. The American black bear, Ursus americanus (U. americanus), exhibits a range of colors including the cinnamon morph, which has a similar color to the brown bear, U. arctos, and is found at high frequency in the American southwest. Reflectance and chemical melanin measurements showed little distinction between U. arctos and cinnamon U. americanus individuals. We used a genome-wide association for hair color as a quantitative trait in 151 U. americanus individuals and identified a single major locus (p < 10⁻¹³). Additional genomic and functional studies identified a missense alteration (R153C) in Tyrosinase-related protein 1 (TYRP1) that likely affects binding of the zinc cofactor, impairs protein localization, and results in decreased pigment production. Population genetic analyses and demographic modeling indicated that the R153C variant arose 9.36 kya in a southwestern population where it likely provided a selective advantage, spreading both northwards and eastwards by gene flow. A different TYRP1 allele, R114C, contributes to the characteristic brown color of U. arctos but is not fixed across the range.

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Additional publication details
Publication type	Article
Publication Subtype	Journal Article
Title	Genetic architecture and evolution of color variation in American black bears
Series title	Current Biology
DOI	10.1016/j.cub.2022.11.042
Volume	33
Issue	1
Year Published	2023
Language	English
Publisher	Elsevier
Contributing office(s)	Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center
Description	12 p.
First page	86
Last page	97
Country	Canada, Mexico, United States
Google Analytic Metrics	Metrics page