Specifically, geographic isolation can result in founder effects and reduced immune diversity as a result of limited pathogen challenge. The limited native geographic range (Australia) and relative isolation of the black swan has direct consequences for its immune repertoire and susceptibility to infectious disease common to other parts of the world. This unique feature has resulted in the black swan playing an important role in Australian heraldry and culture. The distinctive black plumage of the native Australian black swan ( Cygnus atratus) is in stark contrast to the white swans that are native to Europe and North America.

Together, these data suggest that the immune system of the black swan is such that should any avian viral infection become established in its native habitat, the black swan would be in a significant peril. We also implicate genetic differences in SLC45A2 gene in the iconic plumage of the black swan. We use these genomes and transcriptomes to show that unlike other wild waterfowl, black swans lack an expanded immune gene repertoire, lack a key viral pattern-recognition receptor in endothelial cells and mount a poorly controlled inflammatory response to highly pathogenic avian influenza. Here, we generate the first chromosome-length black and mute swan genomes annotated with transcriptome data, all using long-read based pipelines generated for vertebrate species. Understanding this susceptibility has been impaired by the absence of any available swan genome and transcriptome information.

Unlike mallard ducks and the mute swan ( Cygnus olor), the black swan is extremely sensitive to highly pathogenic avian influenza. The relative geographic isolation of the black swan may have resulted in a limited immune repertoire and increased susceptibility to infectious diseases, notably infectious diseases from which Australia has been largely shielded. The Australian black swan ( Cygnus atratus) is an iconic species with contrasting plumage to that of the closely related northern hemisphere white swans. Genome Biology volume 24, Article number: 13 ( 2023)

The swan genome and transcriptome, it is not all black and white

Aiden hl swan