Eukaryotic Life (IMAGE)
Caption
The graphic shows a tree of life for complex forms known as Eukaryotes, that arose mysteriously around 1.2-2 billions years ago from a progenitor known as LECA (for Last Eukaryote Common Ancestor.)
Jeremy Wideman and his colleagues used a new method to sequence mitochondrial DNA for around 100 species of flagellates--tiny aquatic organisms that populate many branches of the tree. These are seen on the graphic as red dots marking the particular lineages these flagellates belong to.
Credit
Graphic by Shireen Dooling
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