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Monday, November 23, 2009

Photo: First Decoded Marsupial Genome Reveals "Junk DNA" Surprise


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Researchers recently completed sequencing the genome of the South American short-tailed opossum—the first marsupial DNA to be completely deciphered.

The tiny creature is revealing some big surprises, including startling details about the role of "junk DNA" in the evolution of humans.

Photograph courtesy Paul Samollow, Southwest Foundation for Biomedical Research, San Antonio