Organisation of the Hb 1 genes of the Antarctic skate Bathyraja eatonii: New insights into the evolution of globin genes

The finding of a tail-to-head linkage of the Hb 1 α- and β-globin genes in B. eatonii is the first characterisation of the organisation of globin genes in chondrichthyes; such finding offers a novel contribution to the understanding of the evolution of this class of genes. Moreover, the characterisation of chondrichthyan genes is very important for gaining insight into the ancestral state of vertebrate genomes.