Question

Give an example of evolutionary information deduced from comparative genomics.

Short answer

An example of evolutionary information deduced from comparative genomics can be seen in comparisons between human and chimpanzee genomes. This comparison reveals a high degree of genetic similarity, suggesting a common ancestor and providing evolutionary information about divergence time and relatedness.

Step-by-step solution

Understanding Comparative Genomics

At first, one needs to understand the term 'Comparative Genomics'. Comparative genomics is a field of biological study where the genomic features of different organisms are compared. Each organism's genome contains its genetic material, and by comparing these, one can understand the differences and similarities in different species/genus/etc.

Inferring Evolutionary Information

From comparative genomics, one can infer evolutionary information. This information may include how closely related different forms of life are, how fast new species split off from common ancestors, what parts of the genomes are under strong evolutionary pressure and thus likely to be important, and more. One can perform this by comparing gene sequences among different species and observing variations.

Giving an Example

For instance, consider the comparison of the human genome to those of other primates such as the chimpanzee. Genetic comparison suggests that humans and chimpanzees share a common ancestor as there is an approximate 98.7% genetic match. This provides evolutionary information that humans and chimps diverged from this common ancestor around 5 to 7 million years ago.