The genome of the Australian water dragon (Intellagama lesueurii), an agamid model for urban adaptation

  • Daniel Powell
  • , Nicola Jackson
  • , Parwinder Kaur
  • , Olga Dudchenko
  • , Erez Lieberman Aiden
  • , Arthur Georges
  • , Celine Henria Frere

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

Squamate reptiles are a highly diverse and intriguing group of tetrapods, offering valuable insights into the evolution of amniotes. The Australian water dragon (Intellagama lesueurii) is a member of the Agamidae and sister to the core mesic Australian endemic radiation (Amphibolurinae). The species is renowned for its urban adaptability and complex social systems. We report a 1.8 Gb chromosome-length genome assembly together with the annotation of 23,675 protein-coding genes. Comparative analysis with other squamate genomes highlights gene family expansions associated with immune function, energetic homeostasis, and wound healing. This reference genome will serve as a valuable resource for studies of evolution and environmental resilience in lizards.
Original languageEnglish
Article numberesae054
Pages (from-to)571-581
Number of pages11
JournalJournal of Heredity
Volume116
Issue number5
Early online date8 Nov 2024
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1 Sept 2025

Funding

FundersFunder number
ARC Australian Research Council FT200100192

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