Scientists Mapping Out 10,000 Animal Genomes For “Genetic Zoo”

On the tail-end of news that all of the HIV genome and 98% of the pig genome has been decoded, scientists are announcing that they’ve got a plan to collect and sequence the DNA of 10,000 vertebrate species.

Over 68 scientists worldwide are participating in the Genome 10K Project, the results of which would not only bring understanding of changes in species but also “allow predictions of how certain species might respond to climate change, pollution, new diseases and competitors.” There’s great potential to discover more about genetics with this project, but I have a sneaking suspicion that at least one of those scientists is in it for the DNA scavenger hunt through zoos. [Genome 10K via Pop Sci]