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Orthologous genes (or orthologs) are a particular class of homologous genes. They are found in different species and have diverged following the speciation of the species hosting them. Therefore, orthologous genes in different species derive from a common ancestral gene found in the ancestor of those species. Given their common origin, it is often the case that orthologous genes have the same function in the different species, but exceptions are not rare. The best way to infer that genes from different species are orthologous is by reconstructing their evolutionary relationships using molecular phylogeny. Conversely, because orthologous genes evolve in parallel with the diversification of species, they are markers of choice for the reconstruction of the evolutionary history of species using molecular phylogeny.
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© 2014 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg
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Moreira, D. (2014). Orthologous Gene. In: Amils, R., et al. Encyclopedia of Astrobiology. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-27833-4_1731-3
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-27833-4_1731-3
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Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg
Online ISBN: 978-3-642-27833-4
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