Given that the chimp genome has now been sequenced. I wonder if anyone who knows more about this sort of thing than me would be able to tell me:
1. whether the analysis means we'll be able to estimate a minimum number of mutation events since the common ancestor which separate homo sapiens sapiens from chimps? (based on a comparison and statistical analysis between the two sequences).
2. whether this means that we'll be able to work out the exact dna sequence of our common ancestor? Or even very approximately?
2a And does this mean that, if some date in the future we work out what the genes actually do, we'll be able to reconstruct what this common ancestor was
like?
One thing which has always puzzled me is whether we can work out what the universal common ancestor (believe its referred to as LUCA) could be if we sequenced enough genomes of different species, on purely statistical grounds.
Or if someone could point me to some reference material (for an ignorant but interested non-biologist), that would be great.
PE (BS)
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This is Primordial Egg having to operate under a different name due to an unfortunate posting injury. This id will buthcered once I get my old one back
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