Laboratory of Genomic Diversity, National Cancer Institute, Frederick, MD 21702-1201, USA. murphywi@mail.ncifcrf.gov
Comparative genome analyses, including chromosome painting in over 40 diverse mammalian species, ordered gene maps from several representatives of different mammalian and vertebrate orders, and large-scale sequencing of the human and mouse genomes are beginning to provide insight into the rates and patterns of chromosomal evolution on a whole-genome scale, as well as into the forces that have sculpted the genomes of extant mammalian species.