Question

Archaea we thought to be ancestral to bacteria. However, now they are considered to be closer to eukaryotes, what evidence supports their new placement in the phylogenetic tree?

Answer 1

Answer:

Evidence supports the placement of archae with eukarya are:

1. Archaea possess genes and several metabolic pathways that are more closely related to those of eukaryotes than prokaryotes.

2. rRNA sequences: some of archaea's match eukaryote's

3. RNA polymerase: bacteria only have one kind; relatively small and simple while archaea and eukarya have several kinds, which are complex.

4. Introns: Present in archae and eukarya, but rare or absent in bacteria

5. Archea and eukarya are not affected by antibiotics

6. Archaea and eukarya do not have peptidoglycan in the cell wall.

7. Both archae and eukarya wrap DNA in histones