TY - JOUR
T1 - Genomic inferences from Afrotheria and the evolution of elephants
AU - Roca, Alfred L.
AU - O'Brien, Stephen J.
PY - 2005/12/1
Y1 - 2005/12/1
N2 - Recent genetic studies have established that African forest and savanna elephants are distinct species with dissociated cytonuclear genomic patterns, and have identified Asian elephants from Borneo and Sumatra as conservation priorities. Representative of Afrotheria, a superordinal clade encompassing six eutherian orders, the African savanna elephant was among the first mammals chosen for whole-genome sequencing to provide a comparative understanding of the human genome. Elephants have large and complex brains and display advanced levels of social structure, communication, learning and intelligence. The elephant genome sequence might prove useful for comparative genomic studies of these advanced traits, which have appeared independently in only three mammalian orders: primates, cetaceans and proboscideans.
AB - Recent genetic studies have established that African forest and savanna elephants are distinct species with dissociated cytonuclear genomic patterns, and have identified Asian elephants from Borneo and Sumatra as conservation priorities. Representative of Afrotheria, a superordinal clade encompassing six eutherian orders, the African savanna elephant was among the first mammals chosen for whole-genome sequencing to provide a comparative understanding of the human genome. Elephants have large and complex brains and display advanced levels of social structure, communication, learning and intelligence. The elephant genome sequence might prove useful for comparative genomic studies of these advanced traits, which have appeared independently in only three mammalian orders: primates, cetaceans and proboscideans.
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U2 - 10.1016/j.gde.2005.09.014
DO - 10.1016/j.gde.2005.09.014
M3 - Review article
C2 - 16226885
AN - SCOPUS:27544450356
VL - 15
SP - 652
EP - 659
JO - Current Opinion in Genetics and Development
JF - Current Opinion in Genetics and Development
SN - 0959-437X
IS - 6
ER -