Congratulations to Benjamin Hanrahan, Kirat Alreja and colleagues, whose genome research on the alpine three-lined skink (Bassiana duperreyi) has been selected for the cover of the June 2025 issue of G3: Genes | Genomes | Genetics.
The study, which we first featured in our April 2025 news, delivers one of the most complete reference genomes generated to date for a native Australian lizard. The work sheds light on the species’ remarkable natural sex reversal, where genetically female individuals develop as males when incubated at low temperatures. The genome offers important insights into how environmental and genetic factors interact to influence sex determination and reproductive evolution.
As an egg-laying species within a lineage that has undergone multiple independent transitions to live birth, Bassiana duperreyi provides a unique window into the evolution of reproductive strategies in reptiles. The newly published genome serves as an important resource for comparative studies aimed at understanding how traits such as placentation and live-bearing have evolved across skinks and other lizard groups. Supported by Bioplatforms Australia through the Amphibian and Reptile Genome Initiative, this work contributes to broader research on biodiversity, evolutionary biology, and species resilience under changing environmental conditions. #NCRISimpact
Read the paper here: https://academic.oup.com/g3journal/article/15/6/jkaf046/8078062?login=false