Emx2 underlies the development and evolution of marsupial gliding membranes. (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38658750/)

These scientists wanted to understand how some animals have developed a special skin flap that helps them glide through the air. They studied the genes and development of this skin flap in animals like flying squirrels and sugar gliders.

First, they looked at the DNA of 15 different types of marsupials, some that could glide and some that couldn't. They found that a specific gene called Emx2 had changed more in the species that could glide. This gene is important for the development of the skin flap.

Next, they used different techniques to study how this gene works during the growth of the skin flap in baby marsupials. They discovered that Emx2 plays a big role in making the skin flap. They also found that different parts of the DNA control how much Emx2 is made in gliding animals.

To test their findings, they did experiments on mice to see if they could change the way Emx2 works. They found that the patterns of Emx2 in gliding animals might have come from an older pattern found in all mammals.

Overall, the scientists learned that the skin flaps in gliding animals have evolved in a similar way even though they are not closely related. They found that different parts of the DNA can change how genes work and create new features in animals over time.

Moreno JA., Dudchenko O., Feigin CY., Mereby SA., Chen Z., Ramos R., Almet AA., Sen H., Brack BJ., Johnson MR., Li S., Wang W., Gaska JM., Ploss A., Weisz D., Omer AD., Yao W., Colaric Z., Kaur P., Leger JS., Nie Q., Mena A., Flanagan JP., Keller G., Sanger T., Ostrow B., Plikus MV., Kvon EZ., Aiden EL., Mallarino R. Emx2 underlies the development and evolution of marsupial gliding membranes. Nature. 2024 May;629(8010):127-135. doi: 10.1038/s41586-024-07305-3. Epub 2024 Apr 24.