Lake James A
MCDB Biology and Human Genetics, University of California, 232 Boyer Hall, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci. 2015 Sep 26;370(1678):20140321. doi: 10.1098/rstb.2014.0321.
The origin of the eukaryotes is a fundamental scientific question that for over 30 years has generated a spirited debate between the competing Archaea (or three domains) tree and the eocyte tree. As eukaryotes ourselves, humans have a personal interest in our origins. Eukaryotes contain their defining organelle, the nucleus, after which they are named. They have a complex evolutionary history, over time acquiring multiple organelles, including mitochondria, chloroplasts, smooth and rough endoplasmic reticula, and other organelles all of which may hint at their origins. It is the evolutionary history of the nucleus and their other organelles that have intrigued molecular evolutionists, myself included, for the past 30 years and which continues to hold our interest as increasingly compelling evidence favours the eocyte tree. As with any orthodoxy, it takes time to embrace new concepts and techniques.
真核生物的起源是一个基本的科学问题，30多年来，在相互竞争的古菌（或三域）树和曙细胞树之间引发了激烈的争论。作为真核生物的我们人类，对自身的起源有着个人兴趣。真核生物含有其标志性细胞器——细胞核，它们也因此而得名。它们有着复杂的进化史，随着时间的推移获得了多个细胞器，包括线粒体、叶绿体、光滑和粗糙内质网以及其他细胞器，所有这些都可能暗示着它们的起源。正是细胞核及其其他细胞器的进化史，在过去30年里引起了包括我在内的分子进化学家的兴趣，并且随着越来越多令人信服的证据支持曙细胞树，这一话题仍继续吸引着我们。与任何正统观念一样，接受新的概念和技术需要时间。
