On Oct. 21, 2024, scientists from the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) and Iowa State University (ISU) announced they had generated the genome assemblies of two hidden-neck turtles, unpublished until now.

The results, which revealed a new three-dimensional structure of the genome within the phylogenetic group of reptiles, birds and mammals, will contribute to the development of more effective turtle conservation strategies, and to the study of the evolution of the genome and chromosomal organisation of vertebrates.

The study highlights the important role of chromatin, a three-dimensional structure into which genetic material folds and is packaged within the cell nucleus, in the regulation of gene function and its impact on evolution and speciation. The study results were published in Genome Research.