Timing and scope of genomic expansion within Annelida: evidence from Hoxeobox genes in the genome of the earthworm Eisenia fetida. Eisenia Fetida (Earthworm) Genome

Our sequencing, assembly, and comparative analyses of the Eisenia fetida genome has allowed us to identify evolutionary events that shaped the annelid lineage and better understand genetic diversity within the group. We have identified gene duplication and loss events that have taken place both before and after Eisenia fetida and Helobdella robusta diverged. These results add to our understanding of the diversity within annelids and provide a critical resource from which the extraordinary biology of the earthworm can be studied.