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The common or true parrot (Amazona aestiva) represents other birds just like humans for other primates: they live longer and are smarter. This may be obvious to the "naked eye," but until now, the genetic bases that underpinned his intelligence, longevity, and ability to mimic sounds and voices were not known.
Not anymore. A consortium of researchers from 11 Brazilian and North American institutions sequenced the genome of the species and discovered new genes and interactions, among others, responsible for these characteristics.
Sequencing is the result of a project called Sisbio-Aves, funded since 2012 by the National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq).
"It was created to help characterize the country's bird biodiversity," says Brazilian researcher Claudio Mello of the Department of Behavioral Neuroscience of the University of Health and Sciences of the United States. 39, Oregon in the United States. "The idea was to sequence the genomes of several Brazilian birds in order to unravel their genomes and attempt to explain their characteristics."
According to researcher Patrícia Schneider of the Federal University of Pará (UFPA), who also has Sisbio-Aves focused on species that can answer essential questions about phylogeny, evolution, population genetics, neuroscience and behavior. "Sequencing is a first step in answering these questions," he says.
Another member of the consortium, geneticist Fabrício Santos, of the Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG), cites another goal of sequencing parrot DNA. -common. "We wanted to have a map of the genes of this species and identify the differences in their evolution that could give us indications on the functioning of the brain (including the human brain) as well as the genes possibly badociated with longevity."
Overcoming Primates
Like most vertebrates, the Amazon has about 25,000 genes. In some cognitive aspects, this species exceeds even primates, with the exception of the human being. "Perhaps the most striking example is what is called object permanence, that is, the ability of the animal to know that something that is presented to him before is always present, even if it is hidden, "says Mello.
Photo: Glaucia Seixas / BBC News Brazil
"It's the game where you put something under a box, for example, and the animal knows where it's hidden." Parrots can solve this problem, but other animals, including monkeys, have a harder time losing sight of. "
For this work, the specimen that provided the DNA samples was a parrot named Moses, born in the early 2000s .He belonged to a biologist and today lives in the house of A veterinarian, in the city of Pitangui (MG), 127 km from Belo Horizonte.
"By comparing the genomes of other parrots and birds as humans, we were able to identify genes with marked differences that indicate important functions in terms of longevity and cognitive processes related to the vocal learning of the sequenced species ", explains Santos 19659002] According to Patrícia, sequencing has identified about 4,000 genes and showed the similarities of the Amazon with other birds, but also what he has different. "This research resulted in the identification of genome modifications, c & # 39; 39, that is to say, mutations of certain genes, as well as to identify ication of other exclusive modifications to parrots that reinforce the idea that cognitive ability and longevity are unique attributes of this group of animals because "
" More detailed studies of between them, mainly related to cognitive functions, can elucidate important questions, because we observe many parallels between man and these birds. "
Mello gives more details on the findings, clbadifying them into three main conclusions:" We found paralogous genes (a gene duplicated in a particular species or group) that seem to be specific to parrots, "he says. he. "One of them, called PLXNC1, is involved in the formation of neuronal connections, that is, how one brain zone connects to others to form neuronal circuits. "
According to the researcher, it was already known that this gene has a differentiated regulation in the vocal zone of birds and in the laryngeal cortex in humans.This is to say that it seems to be involved in regular speaking circuits in people and singing in birds. "The fact that it is partially duplicated in the Amazon indicates that there is increased regulation, which may explain the increase in their voice capacity, "said Mello." We have also found other duplications that have led to new genes only in parrots, but their functions are not yet clear. "
A second discovery relates to longevity. Parrots and some other birds live much longer than expected by their weight. The life expectancy of Amazon aestiva, for example, is 2.5 to 3 times higher than it should be. Basically, it would be like a human being between 150 and 200 years old.
"We found that, along with other longevity birds, there are changes in several genes that control processes such as aging and cell proliferation, repair of DNA damage, tumorigenesis (origin of the tumor), protection against oxidative stress and immune response, for example ", explains Mello. "This suggests that the sequenced species uses multiple routes for greater longevity."
The third finding concerns changes in the regulatory regions of various genes that control brain growth and cognitive abilities. They are similar to those seen in humans and distinguish humans from other primates, who have smaller brains and less cognitive ability.
"This shows that some mechanisms that have led to greater growth of the brain and intelligence in humans must also have acted in the same way in parrots," says Mello. "We consider them to be the most intelligent birds and, in that sense, they look like humans to other primates."
According to the researcher from the University of Oregon, many of these genes, when radically altered, cause developmental disorders. brain and cognition in humans, such as autism and schizophrenia.
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