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Molecular systematics

Counting angels with DNA

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It is impossible to describe biological diversity with traditional approaches. Molecular methods are the way forward — especially, perhaps, in the form of DNA barcodes.

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Figure 1: Known and estimated diversity of a selection of animal phyla.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Cell, Animal and Population Biology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH9 3JT, UK

    Mark Blaxter

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  1. Mark Blaxter
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Correspondence to Mark Blaxter.

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Blaxter, M. Counting angels with DNA. Nature 421, 122–123 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1038/421122a

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