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Abstract
Monocots represent a monophyletic clade of the angiosperms that - based on fossil
and molecular records - originated at around the Early Cretaceous from aquatic and
wetland ancestors. Among their members are important crops including maize, wheat,
rice, sorghum and barley, accounting for the major source for the daily calorie uptake
by humans. Reflecting this importance, the partly large and complex genomes of these
plants were major targets for ambitious and innovative sequencing projects, which
will be discussed in this review article.