Why sequence the genome of every species? A view from evolutionary biology

We are in the early stage of a revolution in the field of comparative genomics. Within the past five years, thousands of animal, plant, and fungal genomes have been sequenced and assembled to high quality. There is even serious discussion around sequencing the genomes of every eukaryotic species on earth. Here, I explain why this genomic revolution is happening and discuss the feasibility of sequencing genomes on a massive scale. Having a very wide diversity of genome sequences will accelerate applied research in biomedicine, biotechnology, aquaculture, agriculture, and conservation, and facilitate fundamental research in areas such as ecology, physiology, developmental biology, and evolutionary biology. In this article, I explore new findings and new questions in evolutionary biology emerging from animal genome analyses. Examples are drawn from marine animals such as polychaetes, bivalves, cephalopods, fish, and bryozoans, plus unusual terrestrial groups such as gerbils, moths, and bee-flies. I highlight patterns of mutation, the dynamics of gene families, and chromosomal organisation of genomes as areas ripe for further research. An even wider diversity of genome sequences will be needed to fill the knowledge gaps or investigate emerging puzzles, and a case is made for sequencing the genomes of over 100,000 species.