Herpesviruses comprise an abundant, widely distributed group of large DNA viruses of
humans and other vertebrates, and overall are among the most extensively studied large
DNA viruses. Many herpesvirus genome sequences have been determined, and interpreted
in terms of gene contents to give detailed views of both ubiquitous and lineage-specific
functions. Availability of gene sequences has also enabled evaluations of evolutionary
relationships. For herpesviruses of mammals, a robust phylogenetic tree has been …