The genome sequencing timeline. Preparatory work for the Human Genome Project, including extensive mapping to provide genome landmarks, occupied much of the 1990s. The rapid development of sequencing methods and strategies initiated a broad range of additional sequencing efforts. By the time the draft human genome was published in 2001, hundreds of other projects were already under way. Many genome projects involving species that are widely used in research have their own websites, which serve as central repositories for the most recent data. The increasing inclusion of species that are close human relatives and recent human ancestors is both clarifying human evolution and providing important resources for the discovery of genes involved in human diseases.