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Figure 2 | Biology Direct

Figure 2

From: Energetics and genetics across the prokaryote-eukaryote divide

Figure 2

Endosymbiotic origin of eukaryotes by time and genetic distance. Schematic depiction of the chimeric origin of eukaryotes (in red) by (a) genetic distance and (b) time. Bacteria and archaea are shown to the left and right, respectively. Reticular networks of lateral gene transfer are not shown for simplicity, but characterise prokaryotic evolution. In (a) the unbranching red trunk depicts the prokaryote-eukaryote transition without any successful speciation (as attested by the absence of true evolutionary intermediates; see text) across the long genetic distance from an endosymbiotic origin in prokaryotes to LECA. In (b) the absence of this unbranching trunk depicts the short timescale and rapid evolution of LECA, driven by endosymbiotic gene transfer, a high mutation rate, cell fusions and genome doublings, accumulating traits within a single small population.

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