A conifer genome spruces up plant phylogenomics

Systematic Error in Seed Plant Phylogenomics

Resolving the closest relatives of Gnetales has been an enigmatic problem in seed plant phylogeny. The problem is known to be difficult because of the extent of divergence between this diverse group of gymnosperms and their closest phylogenetic relatives. Here, we investigate the evolutionary properties of conifer chloroplast DNA sequences. To improve taxon sampling of Cupressophyta (non-Pinace...

Title : A white spruce gene catalogue for conifer genome analyses

Phylogenomics and Coalescent Analyses Resolve Extant Seed Plant Relationships

The extant seed plants include more than 260,000 species that belong to five main lineages: angiosperms, conifers, cycads, Ginkgo, and gnetophytes. Despite tremendous effort using molecular data, phylogenetic relationships among these five lineages remain uncertain. Here, we provide the first broad coalescent-based species tree estimation of seed plants using genome-scale nuclear and plastid da...

Phylogenomics and the Dynamic Genome Evolution of the Genus Streptococcus

The genus Streptococcus comprises important pathogens that have a severe impact on human health and are responsible for substantial economic losses to agriculture. Here, we utilize 46 Streptococcus genome sequences (44 species), including eight species sequenced here, to provide the first genomic level insight into the evolutionary history and genetic basis underlying the functional diversity o...

Phylogenomics

don’t need to be told a reason for conserving species, but for many people (including those with the most money), the case does need to be made. Discovering and illustrating the remarkable cognitive abilities of a species can increase its value in conservation terms. Gorillas, chimpanzees and elephants are all expensive to conserve and endangered in the wild, and we owe them a fair portrayal. A...