Sea
Lampreys Jettison One-fifth of Their Genome (Jul
20, 2009) University of Washington.
Researchers have
discovered that the sea
lamprey dramatically remodels its genome.
Shortly after a fertilized lamprey egg
divides into several cells, the growing
embryo discards millions of units of its
DNA. These findings are believed to be
the first recorded observation of a vertebrate
-- an animal with a spinal column -- extensively
reorganizing its genome as a normal part
of development.
