WASHINGTON - Scientists on Thursday (April 27) unveiled the results of a project comparing the genomes of 240 mammal species - from aardvarks and aye-ayes to zebus and zebras, as well as people - to trace evolutionary changes spanning 100 million years, pinpointing genetic traits widely shared and those more uniquely human. The findings in the ambitious Zoonomia Project identified.
A large international study jointly led by Uppsala University in Sweden and the Broad Institute in the US, that analysed the genomes of 240 mammal species, has revealed which regions have important functions in mammals, which genetic changes .
Studies from the Zoonomia Project pinpoint key parts of the human genome that have remained unchanged after millions of years of evolution and may shed light on disease and unusual traits. Over the past 100 million years, mammals have adapted to nearly every environment on Earth. Scientists with
Over the past 100 million years, mammals have adapted to nearly every environment on Earth. Scientists with the Zoonomia Project have been cataloging the diversity in mammalian genomes by comparing DNA sequences from 240 species that exist today, from the aardvark to the African savanna elephant. In a special issue of Science, the Zoonomia team has demonstrated how comparative genomics can not only shed light on how certain species achieve extraordinary feats, but also help scientists better understand the parts of our genome that are functional and how they might influence health and disease.