Canadian Centre for DNA Barcoding

Research Domains of Life

CCDB Masthead

Domains of Life: Animals

A 648 base-pair section of the cytochrome c oxidase I gene (COI-5') has been shown to provide species-level resolution in varied animal phyla. Through the growing number of completed taxonomic surveys, COI DNA barcodes have become a valuable tool in the development of a global bioidentification system for animals.

Currently, DNA barcoding protocols have been most widely developed for the Animal Kingdom, and a number of large international initiatives have been mobilized to barcode animal taxa.