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| Three Domains of Life (clickable) After http://trishul.sci.gu.edu.au/~bharat/courses/ss13bmm/archaea.html |
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Phylogeny: Phylogenetic trees such as the one above are based on the differences among organisms and the most likely sequence by which these differences arose. The tree above is based on differences in the sequence of DNA stored in the ribosomes of various organisms. Such techniques are known as Molecular Phylogeny, and they sometimes produce different results than phylogenies based on morphological characteristics, and are sometimes at odds with fossil inferences. The description and cataloging of genes among organisms has lead to the startling discovery that genes have been transfered among coexisting groups rather than solely from ancestor to offspring (Lateral Gene Transfer = LGT). Further reading The Universal Tree of Life, W.F. Doolittle Phylogeny: Gary Olsen, Univ. Illinois Cladistics: Univ. Berkeley |
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