Taxonomy, DNA, and the Bar Code of Life

Abstract

DNA sequence analysis is enormously useful in studies of evolutionary history. Extensive sampling of DNA sequences has helped establish the diversity of life and allowed researchers to analyze evolutionary relationships within groups in detail. DNA sequencing has also been applied to identify specimens and resolve species boundaries in populations of apparently similar organisms. However, the bewildering variety of genes and methods of analysis employed in DNA-based phylogenetic and identification research has generally limited the applicability of results beyond the specific groups under study. The potential utility of a large-scale effort to sequence uniform gene targets across all species of life was the subject of “Taxonomy and DNA,” a conference held at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory on 9–12 March 2003. The conference participants included specialists in animal, microbial, and plant taxonomy; molecular biology; and bioinformatics. The goals of a large-scale sequencing project are to enable a practical method for species identification and to provide insight into the evolutionary history of life.