provide genetic markers with sufficient intraspecific variation to document domestication. Studying the noncoding DNA of domesticated species is made possible by genomics, which provides the genetic sequence of the entire genome, not simply coding DNA from genes of interest. In the case of coconuts, recent genomic research using 10 microsatellite loci was able to determine that there have been 2 cases of coconut domestication based on sufficient variation between individuals found in the Indian Ocean and those found in the Pacific Ocean. Advantages of genomics over traditional genetics Genomics offers various benefits that the study of single genes, or genetics, does not. Having a fully sequenced genome for an organism, such as potato, allows researchers to compare DNA across multiple species and examine conserved sequences. In 2011, researchers at the Potato Genome Sequencing Consortium compared a de novo potato genome to 12 other species including arabidopsis, grape, rice, sorghum, maize, poplar, and others that allowed them to isolate potato specific genes, including those that confer resistance to potato blight caused by Phytophthora infestans. The ability to predict genes of interest for crop breeding is a major advantage to the further domestication of crop species that is facilitated by genomics and the identification of genes and extragenic sequences that control for these desirable traits. Modern plant breeders can use this information to manipulate the genetics of crop species to develop new domesticated varieties with desired modern traits such as increased yield and the ability to respond better to nitrogen fertilizers. Comparative genomics also allows researchers to make inferences about the evolution of life through comparing genomic sequences and examining patterns of divergence and conservation. Evolution In his most famous work, Origin of Species, Charles Darwin compared natural selection to domestication to help explain the former and he went on to write an entire book on the topic entitled The Variation of Animals and Plants Under Domestication. Domesticated species serve as ideal model systems for examining key concepts of evolution because their history is relatively short (on the evolutionary scale of billions of years) and well preserved. Additionally, by virtue of their usefulness to humans, many domesticated species are extant and available for study. The genomes of crop species have been sequenced in part to help with their improvement for agronomic reasons, but because genome data are publicly available, in many cases for free, these organisms also serve as systems for examining