Fig. 3

Evolution of DNA methylation and NuRD gene families in metazoans. The number (or range of numbers) of members of each family/subfamily in the indicated phylogenetic groups is shown (none if no members are detected). The number of studied species in each phylogenetic group is indicated next to the group name. Two final columns summarize the putative ancestral set of all studied families/subfamilies in the last common ancestors of metazoans and bilaterians. The putative ancestral set of families/subfamilies in the last common ancestor of eumetazoans (cnidarians + bilaterians) is the same as the one for the bilaterian ancestor and is not shown for sake of clarity. Asterisks highlight the fact that the inference of the presence of MBD1/2/3 and MBD4 families in the metazoan last common ancestor depends on whether we consider sponges as the sister group to all other animals. If ctenophores are considered as the sister group of all other animals, it is possible that only one Mbd gene (probably from the MBD1/2/3 subfamily) was present in the last common ancestor of all animals