Reconstruction of the diapsid ancestral genome permits chromosome evolution tracing in avian and non-avian dinosaurs

Abstract

Ancient diapsids diverged into the lineages leading to turtles and birds over 250 million years ago. Here, the authors use genomic and molecular cytogenetic analyses of modern species to infer the genome structure of the diapsid common ancestor (DCA) and the changes occurring along the lineage to birds through theropod dinosaurs.