Deciphering the genomic signatures of climate vulnerability across 77 sheep breeds
Abstract
Among domesticated species, sheep ( Ovis aries ) have achieved a wide geographic distribution due to their mobility, rusticity and ability to adapt to diverse environments and climatic conditions. Here, we characterise the genome-wide diversity of >1,000 sheep representing 77 autochthonous breeds spanning North Africa to Scandinavia using high-density genotype data. To provide a large-scale assessment of population vulnerability to climate change, we combine uni- and multivariate gene-environment association analyses, and quantify the deviation of the current genomic make-up of populations from that necessary for maintaining adaptation under climate change (genomic offset). We identify precipitation as a major driver of divergent selection and identify candidate adaptive loci overlapping genes with pleiotropic roles linking renal water balance and metabolic regulation, including glucose and insulin-related pathways. This coupling of osmoregulatory and metabolic functions likely underpins adaptation to variable drought regimes and extreme, fluctuating environments. Notably, genomic offset hot spots are identified in southwestern Europe, highlighting the need for targeted management to mitigate the effects of climate change on animal welfare and production in these regions. These findings shed light on the strategies for climate adaptation in sheep and provide insights for informed breeding programmes aimed at enhancing resilience in changing climate conditions.
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BibTeX
@article{barbato2026deciphering,
title = {{Deciphering the genomic signatures of climate vulnerability across 77 sheep breeds}},
author = {Mario Barbato and Elia Vajana and Oliver Selmoni and Elisa Somenzi and John Williams and Oscar Cortés and Luís Telo da Gama and Alfredo Teixeira and Pablo Orozco-Terwengel and Maria Trinidad Pérez Méndez and Anouk Schurink and Jack Windig and Sipke Joost Hiemstra and Linn Fenna Groeneveld and Gábor Mészáros and Eve Rannamäe and Urmas Saarma and Anneli Ärmpalu-Idvand and Anna Johansson and Paola Crepaldi and Antonello Carta and Tiziana Sechi and Badr Benjelloun and Gwenola Tosser-Klopp and Bertrand Servin and Michèle Tixier-Boichard and Stéphane Joost and Barbara Lazzari and Alessandra Stella and Licia Colli and Michèle Tixier-Boichard and Elisabeth Blesbois and Maria Bernard and Simon Boitard and Etienne Verrier and Antoine Doré and Carole Moreno and Michel Naves and Denis Laloë and Cyriel Paris and Ahmed Elbeltagy and Carlos Edmundo Lucero Casanova and Rodrigo Martínez and Stéphane Joost and Cagla Yuksel Kaya Kuyululu and Tessa Brinker and Laura Clarke and Peter Harrison and Jun Fan and Paul Flicek and Irene Hoffmann and Paul Boettcher and Roswitha Baumung and Steffen Weigend and Henner Simianer and Krisztina Liptói and Flavia Pizzi and Judit Barna and Irina Carpusca and Coralie Danchin},
journal = {Communications Biology},
year = {2026},
month = sep,
doi = {10.1038/s42003-026-10917-2},
url = {https://hal.inrae.fr/hal-05787574v1},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Deciphering the genomic signatures of climate vulnerability across 77 sheep breeds
AU - Mario Barbato
AU - Elia Vajana
AU - Oliver Selmoni
AU - Elisa Somenzi
AU - John Williams
AU - Oscar Cortés
AU - Luís Telo da Gama
AU - Alfredo Teixeira
AU - Pablo Orozco-Terwengel
AU - Maria Trinidad Pérez Méndez
AU - Anouk Schurink
AU - Jack Windig
AU - Sipke Joost Hiemstra
AU - Linn Fenna Groeneveld
AU - Gábor Mészáros
AU - Eve Rannamäe
AU - Urmas Saarma
AU - Anneli Ärmpalu-Idvand
AU - Anna Johansson
AU - Paola Crepaldi
AU - Antonello Carta
AU - Tiziana Sechi
AU - Badr Benjelloun
AU - Gwenola Tosser-Klopp
AU - Bertrand Servin
AU - Michèle Tixier-Boichard
AU - Stéphane Joost
AU - Barbara Lazzari
AU - Alessandra Stella
AU - Licia Colli
AU - Michèle Tixier-Boichard
AU - Elisabeth Blesbois
AU - Maria Bernard
AU - Simon Boitard
AU - Etienne Verrier
AU - Antoine Doré
AU - Carole Moreno
AU - Michel Naves
AU - Denis Laloë
AU - Cyriel Paris
AU - Ahmed Elbeltagy
AU - Carlos Edmundo Lucero Casanova
AU - Rodrigo Martínez
AU - Stéphane Joost
AU - Cagla Yuksel Kaya Kuyululu
AU - Tessa Brinker
AU - Laura Clarke
AU - Peter Harrison
AU - Jun Fan
AU - Paul Flicek
AU - Irene Hoffmann
AU - Paul Boettcher
AU - Roswitha Baumung
AU - Steffen Weigend
AU - Henner Simianer
AU - Krisztina Liptói
AU - Flavia Pizzi
AU - Judit Barna
AU - Irina Carpusca
AU - Coralie Danchin
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/09/18
JO - Communications Biology
DO - 10.1038/s42003-026-10917-2
UR - https://hal.inrae.fr/hal-05787574v1
AB - Among domesticated species, sheep ( Ovis aries ) have achieved a wide geographic distribution due to their mobility, rusticity and ability to adapt to diverse environments and climatic conditions. Here, we characterise the genome-wide diversity of >1,000 sheep representing 77 autochthonous breeds spanning North Africa to Scandinavia using high-density genotype data. To provide a large-scale assessment of population vulnerability to climate change, we combine uni- and multivariate gene-environment association analyses, and quantify the deviation of the current genomic make-up of populations from that necessary for maintaining adaptation under climate change (genomic offset). We identify precipitation as a major driver of divergent selection and identify candidate adaptive loci overlapping genes with pleiotropic roles linking renal water balance and metabolic regulation, including glucose and insulin-related pathways. This coupling of osmoregulatory and metabolic functions likely underpins adaptation to variable drought regimes and extreme, fluctuating environments. Notably, genomic offset hot spots are identified in southwestern Europe, highlighting the need for targeted management to mitigate the effects of climate change on animal welfare and production in these regions. These findings shed light on the strategies for climate adaptation in sheep and provide insights for informed breeding programmes aimed at enhancing resilience in changing climate conditions.
SN - 2399-3642
ER -