36 citations
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November 2019 in “Molecular biology and evolution” Cysteine-rich keratins evolved independently in mammals, reptiles, and birds for hard skin structures like hair, claws, and feathers.
December 2024 in “Genome Biology and Evolution” Snakes and worm lizards lost claw proteins due to similar evolutionary changes.
25 citations
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August 2017 in “Frontiers in Zoology” Marine mammals lost many α-keratin genes, aiding their adaptation to aquatic life by becoming hairless.
Hairlessness in mammals is due to complex genetic changes in both genes and regulatory regions.
1 citations
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December 2022 in “bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory)” Pangolins have lost some skin-related genes, but kept others, showing complex skin evolution.