Sorry to bring up such an old thread, but I am curious about a statement made:
First and foremost, Of a genome that is 6 billion bases long, what are the odds that a ERV will be inserted into the same place? 1 in a 6 billion, right?
Well, no. ERV preferentially selects some sites more than others. According to this page on the Genome Biology website, the number of insertion points ranges from hundreds to thousands, depending on the type of vector doing the inserting. So, the odds of two species with a similar genome having the same insertion patterns is about a million times better than you indicate.
Important Information
We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue.
Evidence of Human Common Ancestry
in Evolution, Morphology and Exobiology
Sorry to bring up such an old thread, but I am curious about a statement made:
Well, no. ERV preferentially selects some sites more than others. According to this page on the Genome Biology website, the number of insertion points ranges from hundreds to thousands, depending on the type of vector doing the inserting. So, the odds of two species with a similar genome having the same insertion patterns is about a million times better than you indicate.