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Evogenomics Focus Group Activities
The Evogenomics Focus Group met in June 2007 at the Annual meeting of the Society for Molecular Biology and Evolution in Halifax, Canada. The Focus Group sponsored symposium, “Eukaryotic and Prokaryotic Genome Beginnings”, was one of the highlights, if not the highlight, of the meeting. Speakers from the US and Europe described genomic, developmental, and paleontological studies that spanned the course of evolution on the Earth from the earliest biochemistries, to the beginnings of extant prokaryotes, to the earliest prokaryotic precursors of eukaryotes and their organelles, and to the evolution of multicellular life. Others put these changes into context by relating them to molecular processes, gene transfers and symbioses, and to microbial ecosystems. These presentations were capped with a summary and discussion of the search for existing or ancient water on Mars and the prospect of habitability.
