Orangutans harbor ancient primate Alu
Sunday, April 29, 2012 - 23:20
in Biology & Nature
Alu elements infiltrated the ancestral primate genome about 65 million years ago. Once gained an Alu element is rarely lost so comparison of Alu between species can be used to map primate evolution and diversity. New research has found a single Alu, which appears to be an ancestral great ape Alu, that has uniquely multiplied within the orangutan genome.