The genome sequence of the red-legged partridge, Alectoris rufa Linnaeus 1758

Abstract

The red-legged partridge (Alectoris rufa) is a socio-economically important game bird in southern Europe. Despite previous efforts, achieving a high-quality, chromosome-level genome assembly has remained challenging. Here, we present a de novo phased, gapless reference genome of A. rufa, combining Nanopore long-read sequencing and Hi-C data from both sexes. The assembly resolves 40 nuclear chromosomes (38 autosomes and the 2 sex chromosomes, Z and W) and the mitochondrial genome, achieving chromosome-scale resolution and 99.1% completeness based on the Aves BUSCO dataset. This high-quality genome provides a critical resource for studying genetic diversity, sex-linked traits, and evolutionary adaptations