Editing Comparative genomics (section)

===Research===

Comparative genomics also opens up new avenues in other areas of research. As DNA sequencing technology has become more accessible, the number of [[genome sequencing|sequenced genomes]] has grown. With the increasing reservoir of available genomic data, the potency of comparative genomic inference has grown as well.

A notable case of this increased potency is found in recent [[primate]] research. Comparative genomic methods have allowed researchers to gather information about [[genetic variation]], [[Gene expression profiling|differential gene expression]], and evolutionary dynamics in primates that were indiscernible using previous data and methods.<ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = Rogers J, Gibbs RA | title = Comparative primate genomics: emerging patterns of genome content and dynamics | journal = Nature Reviews. Genetics | volume = 15 | issue = 5 | pages = 347–359 | date = May 2014 | pmid = 24709753 | pmc = 4113315 | doi = 10.1038/nrg3707 }}</ref>

====Great Ape Genome Project====
The '''Great Ape Genome Project''' used comparative genomic methods to investigate genetic variation with reference to the six [[Hominidae|great ape]] species, finding healthy levels of variation in their gene pool despite shrinking population size.<ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = Prado-Martinez J, Sudmant PH, Kidd JM, Li H, Kelley JL, Lorente-Galdos B, Veeramah KR, Woerner AE, O'Connor TD, Santpere G, Cagan A, Theunert C, Casals F, Laayouni H, Munch K, Hobolth A, Halager AE, Malig M, Hernandez-Rodriguez J, Hernando-Herraez I, Prüfer K, Pybus M, Johnstone L, Lachmann M, Alkan C, Twigg D, Petit N, Baker C, Hormozdiari F, Fernandez-Callejo M, Dabad M, Wilson ML, Stevison L, Camprubí C, Carvalho T, Ruiz-Herrera A, Vives L, Mele M, Abello T, Kondova I, Bontrop RE, Pusey A, Lankester F, Kiyang JA, Bergl RA, Lonsdorf E, Myers S, Ventura M, Gagneux P, Comas D, Siegismund H, Blanc J, Agueda-Calpena L, Gut M, Fulton L, Tishkoff SA, Mullikin JC, Wilson RK, Gut IG, Gonder MK, Ryder OA, Hahn BH, Navarro A, Akey JM, Bertranpetit J, Reich D, Mailund T, Schierup MH, Hvilsom C, Andrés AM, Wall JD, Bustamante CD, Hammer MF, Eichler EE, Marques-Bonet T | title = Great ape genetic diversity and population history | journal = Nature | volume = 499 | issue = 7459 | pages = 471–475 | date = July 2013 | pmid = 23823723 | pmc = 3822165 | doi = 10.1038/nature12228 | bibcode = 2013Natur.499..471P |doi-access=free}}</ref> Another study showed that patterns of DNA methylation, which are a known regulation mechanism for gene expression, differ in the prefrontal cortex of humans versus chimps, and implicated this difference in the evolutionary divergence of the two species.<ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = Zeng J, Konopka G, Hunt BG, Preuss TM, Geschwind D, Yi SV | title = Divergent whole-genome methylation maps of human and chimpanzee brains reveal epigenetic basis of human regulatory evolution | journal = American Journal of Human Genetics | volume = 91 | issue = 3 | pages = 455–465 | date = September 2012 | pmid = 22922032 | pmc = 3511995 | doi = 10.1016/j.ajhg.2012.07.024 |doi-access=free}}</ref>