An announcement of a new genome sequence available for Dama dama (fallow deer)

Abstract

This publication presents the genome for a male individual of Dama dama (Fallow deer). The Genome is 3108,385,535 bp in length with the sequence assembled in to 35 Chromosomes including an assembly of the X and Y allosomes. The final assembly also had a BUSCO completeness score of 96.4%. The annotated genome was found to consist of 22,619 genes, which are currently mostly all protein coding genes. The final BUSCO v4.1.4 completeness score for the annotation was 72%. Predicted genes have an average transcript length of 49,000 bp. On average each gene has 10 exons. Overall, the number of identified genes appeared lower than that expected for mammals (typically 20–30 K), however, these results can be expected due to the lack of additional RNA-seq data at this time, therefore not all non-coding genes have yet to be annotated. This project is the first to fully sequence the genome of a male Dama dama to reference genome level and provides the groundwork for further research involving this species. The result of this project not only aids to increase knowledge of the Dama dama genetic history but also benefits the welfare of the Dama dama species across the world, contributing to the global effort to combat wildlife crime.