ABSTRACT
Abstract Endogenous retroviruses (HERVs) and retrotransposons are normal components of the human DNA. During evolution these elements have spread by retrotransposition and thus dispersed their regulatory sequences throughout the genome. Novel insertions can
have a variety of consequences for adjacent genes, not only by disrupting gene function, but also by enhancing transcription levels, altering tissue specificity of gene expression, or creating new gene products with modified functions via alternative splicing. Therefore, retrotransposable elements have served as a catalyst for genomic evolution and possibly played an important role in primate speciation and adaptation.
