Genomes in flux: New study reveals hidden dynamics of bird and mammal DNA evolution
Tuesday, February 7, 2017 - 11:31
in Biology & Nature
Evolution is often thought of as a gradual remodeling of the genome, the genetic blueprints for building an organism. But in some instance it might be more appropriate to call it an overhaul. Over the past 100 million years, the human lineage has lost one-fifth of its DNA, while an even greater amount was added, report scientists. Until now, the extent to which our genome has expanded and contracted had been underappreciated.