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An '''Endogenous retrovirus''' (ERV) is genetic insertion in an organism's genome from an inactivated [[retrovirus]]. A retrovirus stores its genetic information in [[RNA]] and must reverse transcribe it into [[DNA]] before insertion into the host's genome. This process is prone to error and sometimes the errors will inactivate the gene. When these inactivate genes are inserted in the [[germ line]] of the host all its descendants will also have the inactivated insertion. Human endogenous retroviruses (HERV) have been linked to several autoimmune diseases such as [[multiple sclerosis]].  

An '''Endogenous retrovirus''' (ERV) is genetic insertion in an organism's genome from an inactivated [[retrovirus]]. A retrovirus stores its genetic information in [[RNA]] and must reverse transcribe it into [[DNA]] before insertion into the host's genome. This process is prone to error and sometimes the errors will inactivate the gene. When these inactivate genes are inserted in the [[germ line]] of the host all its descendants will also have the inactivated insertion. Human endogenous retroviruses (HERV) have been linked to several autoimmune diseases such as [[multiple sclerosis]].  

ERV's are usually species specific, insert almost randomly in the host genome, and the error or mutation that inactivated the gene is random. [[Evolutionist | Proponents of evolution]] and researchers in the field of [[virology]], [[microbiology]], [[epidemiology]], [[infectious disease]] and [[paleobiology]] assert that if two organisms share the same ERV, in the same location with the same inactivation mutations then they must share them due to common inheritance and not two separate infections. Researchers analyze shared ERV insertions across species in order to construct [[phylogenetic trees]]. ERV evidence is also commonly cited as providing strong empirical proof to the reality of [[common descent]]. <ref>http://www.talkorigins.org/faqs/comdesc/section4.html</ref>

ERV's are usually species specific, insert almost randomly in the host genome, and the error or mutation that inactivated the gene is random. [[Evolutionist | Proponents of evolution]] and researchers in the field of [[virology]], [[microbiology]], [[epidemiology]], [[infectious disease]] and [[paleobiology]] assert that if two organisms share the same ERV, in the same location with the same inactivation mutations then they must share them due to common inheritance and not two separate infections. Researchers analyze shared ERV insertions across species in order to construct [[phylogenetic tree]]s. ERV evidence is also commonly cited as providing strong empirical proof to the reality of [[common descent]]. <ref>http://www.talkorigins.org/faqs/comdesc/section4.html</ref>

Although some have claimed that endogenous retroviruses are evidence for common descent, creationists assert that this is not the case.<ref>http://www.trueorigin.org/theobald1e.asp</ref><ref>http://www.answersingenesis.org/articles/am/v1/n2/were-retroviruses-created-good</ref><ref>http://www.answersingenesis.org/docs2006/1219herv.asp</ref>

Although some have claimed that endogenous retroviruses are evidence for common descent, creationists assert that this is not the case.<ref>http://www.trueorigin.org/theobald1e.asp</ref><ref>http://www.answersingenesis.org/articles/am/v1/n2/were-retroviruses-created-good</ref><ref>http://www.answersingenesis.org/docs2006/1219herv.asp</ref>