View source for Class material:Cinereous vulture

The Cinereous vulture is one of the largest raptors on Earth, and its genome and transcriptome analysis<br/> provide significant insights into biological diversity, evolution, and immunology. It is fascinating to examine,<br/> from a genomic perspective, how the Cinereous vulture adapts to extreme environments.<br/> <br/> A unique aspect of the Cinereous vulture's diet is its consumption of carrion. If humans consumed rotten meat,<br/> it would likely disrupt digestion and the pathogens present could threaten survival. However, how does<br/> the Cinereous vulture manage to survive while feeding on such a diet?<br/> <br/> Genomic analysis has revealed that the Cinereous vulture produces strong gastric acids and has a specially<br/> developed immune system. These traits allow the vulture to resist the various pathogens found in carrion.<br/> Particularly interesting is a gene known as PSGs in the Cinereous vulture. This gene plays a crucial role in<br/> acid secretion, immune response, and pathogen detection, enabling the vulture's unique dietary habits.<br/> <br/> This leads to a thought: if a Cinereous vulture experiences epigenetic issues affecting the expression of PSGs,<br/> or carries a genetic anomaly in the PSGs, it might be unable to maintain its carrion-eating habits. Given that<br/> the lifestyle of the Cinereous vulture is specialized to consume carrion, a vulture with such genetic anomalies likely would not survive.&nbsp;<br/> <br/> The lecture highlighted that if a species has specialized traits, these are due to specific genes.<br/> Should there be a malfunction in these genes, the species would not exhibit these specialized traits<br/> and would not differ from other species. This principle, illustrated by the example of the Cinereous vulture,<br/> could universally apply to other species with unique characteristics.