Trees in the web of life.
Reconstructing the 'Tree of Life' is complicated by extensive horizontal gene transfer between diverse groups of organisms. While numerous conceptual and technical obstacles remain, a report in this issue of Journal of Biology from Koonin and colleagues on the largest-scale prokaryotic genomic reconstruction yet attempted shows that such a tree is discernible, although its branches cannot be traced.
Swithers
Kristen S
KS
Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269-3125, USA.
Gogarten
J Peter
JP
Fournier
Gregory P
GP
D001419:Bacteria / Q000235:genetics*; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D022761:Gene Transfer, Horizontal; D020459:Genes, rRNA; D016680:Genome, Bacterial; D010802:Phylogeny; D013045:Species Specificity