New Genomic Zoo to Collect DNA of 10,000 Vertebrate Species
The massive Genome 10K Project will help biologists watch evolution in action on the genetic level A new "genomic zoo" has launched, with the goal of sequencing the genomes of 10,000 vertebrate species. The project aims to help researchers understand recent and rapid adaptive changes among the species. It could also allow predictions of how certain species might respond to climate change, pollution, new diseases and competitors. The Genome 10K Project will scour zoos, museums and universities worldwide for thousands of specimens. An international coalition of more than 68 scientists has outlined their plans in a paper that will appear tomorrow in the Journal of Heredity. Whole genomic sequences can reveal the genetic diversity among certain endangered species, and could also lay out the history of evolution at the most detailed genetic level. The genomes represent "molecular fossils" that allow researchers to study how vertebrates and other complex organisms evolved in the...