9509551 Gatesy This research involves the evolution of milk casein genes. In this project, DNA sequence data bearing on the molecular origin of k-casein, a stabilizing component of the nutritional milk micelle will be collected and interpreted. Two major questions will be addressed: 1) Are casein genes useful for the reconstruction of evolutionary relationships among mammals, and 2) Where did caseins come from?. %%% Through phylogenetic analysis of DNA sequences from k-casein, g-fibrinogen, and b-casein (a calcium sensitive casein), a major physiological breakthrough can be explored from a molecular evolutionary perspective. ***
