title: A difficult phase for introns-early. Molecular evolution.
abstract: Close analysis of intron phase - the position of introns within codons - is claimed to provide novel evidence supporting the view that introns predate the divergence of bacteria and eukaryotes and, via 'exon shuffling', played a crucial role in protein evolution. But just how compelling is this evidence?
authors.affiliation: Department of Genetics, Downing Street, Cambridge, CB2 3EH, UK.
authors.forename: L D
authors.initials: LD
authors.lastname: Hurst
authors.forename: G T
authors.initials: GT
authors.lastname: McVean
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003062:Codon; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D006801:Humans; D007438:Introns; D013045:Species Specificity
chemical_list: D003062:Codon