Comparative primate genomics

Abstract

With the completion of the human genome sequence and the advent of technologies to study functional aspects of genomes, molecular comparisons between humans and other primates have gained momentum. The comparison of the human genome to the genomes of species closely related to humans allows the identification of genomic features that set primates apart from other mammals and of features that set certain primates notably humans apart from other primates. In this article, we review recent progress in these areas with an emphasis on how comparative approaches may be used to identify functionally relevant features unique to the human genome.