Research progresses on non-coding DNA regulatory elements in the evolution of animal adaptive traits.

Driven by adaptive evolution, animals have developed a variety of adaptive traits that are critical to their survival and reproduction. Unraveling the molecular mechanisms of adaptive evolution is of key significance for understanding important biological phenomena such as species diversification and phenotypic convergence, etc. With the development and maturation of multi-omics technologies, genomic non-coding DNA regulatory elements have been proven to play important regulatory roles in the evolution of adaptive traits in animals. In this review, we summarize the characteristics and mechanisms of non-coding DNA regulatory elements and reviews their molecular mechanisms in the evolution of adaptive traits in animals from three aspects: adaptive traits of animal appendages, traits for adaptation to extreme environments, and other special phenotypic adaptive traits. It offers significant insights for understanding the molecular mechanisms of adaptive trait evolution in animals.