TY - JOUR
T1 - Studies on the molecular evolution of the crocodylia
T2 - Footprints in the sands of time
AU - Dessauer, Herbert C.
AU - Glenn, Travis C.
AU - Densmore, Llewellyn D.
N1 - Copyright:
Copyright 2008 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.
PY - 2002/12/15
Y1 - 2002/12/15
N2 - A reasonably large number of studies focusing on the molecular evolution of crocodilians have been completed during the past 100 years. Proteins were initially studied before DNA was known to carry the genetic information of cells and organisms, and were subsequently studied to infer changes at the DNA level. More recently, studies on the DNA itself have been completed. We have had the pleasure of taking part in or facilitating many studies conducted over the past 50 years, especially several of the earliest studies done using newly developed molecular techniques. We provide a review of the molecular genetic studies on crocodilians, summarizing the findings of these studies as well as the context in which they were undertaken. This review is a personal look at the history of molecular studies on the evolutionary biology of crocodilians. Our excuse for this focus is that our professors, our students and we have had the opportunity to be among the first to apply many new techniques to studies of crocodilians since 1950, when one of us (HCD) was a graduate student of Roland Coulson and Tom Hernandez. Although we will review much of the material in this subject area, we do not claim that it is complete. Instead, we focus our presentation on work in which we have participated or with which we are particularly familiar. We especially focus on materials relevant to the research presented at the 2nd International Crocodilian DNA Workshop, 7-9 November, 2001, at the San Diego Zoo. Thus, the following review also stands as a tribute to our mentors, students, and colleagues.
AB - A reasonably large number of studies focusing on the molecular evolution of crocodilians have been completed during the past 100 years. Proteins were initially studied before DNA was known to carry the genetic information of cells and organisms, and were subsequently studied to infer changes at the DNA level. More recently, studies on the DNA itself have been completed. We have had the pleasure of taking part in or facilitating many studies conducted over the past 50 years, especially several of the earliest studies done using newly developed molecular techniques. We provide a review of the molecular genetic studies on crocodilians, summarizing the findings of these studies as well as the context in which they were undertaken. This review is a personal look at the history of molecular studies on the evolutionary biology of crocodilians. Our excuse for this focus is that our professors, our students and we have had the opportunity to be among the first to apply many new techniques to studies of crocodilians since 1950, when one of us (HCD) was a graduate student of Roland Coulson and Tom Hernandez. Although we will review much of the material in this subject area, we do not claim that it is complete. Instead, we focus our presentation on work in which we have participated or with which we are particularly familiar. We especially focus on materials relevant to the research presented at the 2nd International Crocodilian DNA Workshop, 7-9 November, 2001, at the San Diego Zoo. Thus, the following review also stands as a tribute to our mentors, students, and colleagues.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0037115686&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1002/jez.10208
DO - 10.1002/jez.10208
M3 - Article
C2 - 12461810
AN - SCOPUS:0037115686
VL - 294
SP - 302
EP - 311
JO - Journal of Experimental Zoology
JF - Journal of Experimental Zoology
SN - 0022-104X
IS - 4
ER -