About this Research Topic
Genomes are the ultimate repositories of genetic information present in different organisms. The increased and ready availability of genome sequences, in recent years, have provided researchers with a wealth of genomic data that has the potential to reliably elucidate many aspects of organismal characteristics and evolutionary relationships that are not sufficiently resolved or understood at present. The wealth of genomic sequence data that is now becoming available is proving difficult to analyze using standard methodology. Thus, new reductive approaches are needed that can parse the vast amount of genome sequence data for reliable genetic characteristics or trends that are specific for either particular species or related group of organisms and can provide novel means for distinguishing different organisms and for understanding their evolutionary history. The novel genetic and molecular characteristics discovered by the applications of comparative genomic approaches will also provide means to understand the genetic basis of the phenotypic, environmental, behavioural, and biochemical characteristics, which distinguish different groups of organisms and are commonly utilized for their classification. The focus of this research topic will be on the use of comparative genomics and other genome sequence-based approaches to elucidate the evolutionary relationships among different organisms and/or to identify conserved genetic and molecular characteristics which are shared by particular groups of organisms. Reviews, original research articles, and commentaries on this research topic are welcomed.
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