Searching for the unique genes of a unique hare
Researchers at the University of Eastern Finland, in collaboration with colleagues from the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU, Sveriges lantbruksuniversitet), have published seven draft genomes for Nordic hare species.The genomes include three heath hares (Lepus timidus sylvaticus), a subspecies of the mountain hare (Lepus timidus) that is unique to southern Scandinavia and western Estonia. Instead of a white winter pelage that is typical of boreal/arctic mountain hares (Lepus timidus timidus), the heath hare has a grey/blue winter pelage. It is generally believed that this