OrthoMaM: A Database for Mammal Phylogenetics
Author Information
Author(s): Vincent Ranwez, Frédéric Delsuc, Sylvie Ranwez, Khalid Belkhir, Marie-Ka Tilak, Emmanuel JP Douzery
Primary Institution: Université Montpellier 2, CNRS, Institut des Sciences de l'Evolution
Hypothesis
Can genomic data provide new markers for resolving mammalian phylogenetic relationships?
Conclusion
The OrthoMaM database allows researchers to select promising markers for phylogenetic studies based on complete genome information.
Supporting Evidence
- The database includes over 3,000 exons selected for their potential phylogenetic utility.
- Phylogenetic analyses using the database supported the monophyly of several mammalian clades.
- The database allows for easy querying and downloading of genomic alignments.
Takeaway
Scientists created a database to help find important genes for studying how mammals are related to each other. This can help us understand their family tree better.
Methodology
The study used the EnsEMBL database to identify orthologous genes from 12 complete mammalian genomes and developed a bioinformatic pipeline to assess their phylogenetic utility.
Potential Biases
The initial development of markers was dependent on available sequences, which may introduce bias in marker selection.
Limitations
The choice of markers has been historically constrained and may not be optimal for all phylogenetic studies.
Participant Demographics
The study focused on 12 mammalian species, including human, mouse, and dog.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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