Genomic Tree of Life

What does the Tree of Life diagram represent?

Evolutionary relationships of all organisms based on DNA/genomic data.

What is at the center of the Tree of Life?

The last universal common ancestor (LUCA) of all living organisms.

Which domain makes up the largest portion of the Tree of Life?

Bacteria.

What is the “Candidate Phyla Radiation (CPR)”?

A large group of newly discovered bacterial lineages identified by DNA sequencing, many of which cannot yet be grown in labs.

What domain includes extremophiles like organisms living in hot springs or very salty environments?

Archaea.

Which domain are eukaryotes most closely related to?

Archaea.

Which domain includes animals, plants, fungi, and protists?

Eukaryotes.

Do eukaryotes make up a large portion of the Tree of Life?

No, they are a very small branch compared to bacteria and archaea.

What is the main reason scientists have been able to discover so many new branches of life?

Advances in genome sequencing (studying DNA directly from the environment).

What is the biggest takeaway from the Tree of Life?

Most of life on Earth is microbial; plants, animals, and fungi represent only a tiny fraction of biodiversity.