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  • Genomic survey uncovers evolutionary origins of secretoglobin proteins

    May 7, 2025 1:00 pm by Katie BradyDiscovery
    Karn and Laukaitis show that rather than being uniquely mammalian, secretoglobins are also found in turtles, crocodilians, lizards and birds, suggesting they existed in the Carboniferous period. Photo montage by Bob Karn

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    • Karn and Laukaitis show that rather than being uniquely mammalian, secretoglobins are also found in turtles, crocodilians, lizards and birds, suggesting they existed in the Carboniferous period. Photo montage by Bob Karn

    These new findings, published in Genome Biology and Evolution, suggest that secretoglobin proteins evolved earlier than dinosaurs and share a basic function that has not yet been discovered.