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 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> |