Recently Amplified <i>Alu</i> Family Members Share a Common Parental <i>Alu</i> Sequence

Abstract

Three of the most recently inserted primate Alu family members are exceptionally closely related. Therefore, one, or a few, Alu family members are dominating the amplification process and the vast majority are not actively involved in retroposition. Although individual Alu family members are not under any apparent evolutionary constraint, the sequences of these active members are being moderately conserved.