title: Lateral genomics.
abstract: More than 20 complete prokaryotic genome sequences are now publicly available, each by itself an unparalleled resource for understanding organismal biology. Collectively, these data are even more powerful: they could force a dramatic reworking of the framework in which we understand biological evolution. It is possible that a single universal phylogenetic tree is not the best way to depict relationships between all living and extinct species. Instead a web- or net-like pattern, reflecting the importance of horizontal or lateral gene transfer between lineages of organisms, might provide a more appropriate visual metaphor. Here, I ask whether this way of thinking is really justified, and explore its implications.
authors.affiliation: Canadian Institute for Advanced Research, Dept of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. ford@is.dal.ca
authors.forename: W F
authors.initials: WF
authors.lastname: Doolittle
mesh_terms: D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D016678:Genome; D010802:Phylogeny; D011387:Prokaryotic Cells / Q000145:classification*; D012335:RNA, Ribosomal / Q000145:classification
chemical_list: D012335:RNA, Ribosomal