On Dec. 5, 2002, the international Mouse Genome Sequencing Consortium announced the publication of a high-quality draft sequence of the mouse genome – the genetic blueprint of a mouse – together with a comparative analysis of the mouse and human genomes describing insights gleaned from the two sequences. The paper appeared in the journal Nature.

The achievement represents a landmark advance for the Human Genome Project. It was the first time that scientists have compared and contrasted the contents of the human genome with that of another mammal.