The past, present and future of the tree of life

Cédric Blais; John M. Archibald

doi:10.1016/j.cub.2021.02.052

The past, present and future of the tree of life

Cédric Blais, John M. Archibald

Medicine

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

20 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

The advent of comparative genomics in the late 1990s led to the discovery of extensive lateral gene transfer in prokaryotes. The resulting debate over whether life as a whole is best represented as a tree or a network has since given way to a general consensus in which trees and networks co-exist rather than stand in opposition. Embracing this consensus allows us to move beyond the question of which is true or false. The future of the tree of life debate lies in asking what trees and networks can, and should, do for science.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	R314-R321
Journal	Current Biology
Volume	31
Issue number	7
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2021.02.052
Publication status	Published - Apr 12 2021

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
We are grateful to James McInerney, Maureen O’Malley, Eugene Koonin, Eric Bapteste, Ford Doolittle and Celso Alves Neto for constructive comments on an earlier version of this manuscript. Research in the Archibald Lab on gene transfer and microbial evolution is supported by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada and the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation.

Publisher Copyright:
© 2021 Elsevier Inc.

ASJC Scopus Subject Areas

General Neuroscience
General Biochemistry,Genetics and Molecular Biology
General Agricultural and Biological Sciences

PubMed: MeSH publication types

Comparative Study
Journal Article
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

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10.1016/j.cub.2021.02.052

Cite this

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The past, present and future of the tree of life

Abstract

Bibliographical note

ASJC Scopus Subject Areas

PubMed: MeSH publication types

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