Figure 3. Cumulative likelihood of activity for DNA transposons and LTR retrotransposons.

Cumulative TinTs are shown for bushbaby (Strepsirrhini Otolemur garnettii), tarsier (Tarsius syrichta), human (Homo sapiens), and squirrel monkey (New World monkey Saimiri boliviensis) genomes. Patterns on the left show TinT genome scans for DNA transposons (red/blue; different layers show different element families), while those on the right depict TinT genome scans for LTR retrotransposons (green; different layers show different element families). The cumulative non-primate, prosimian-specific and tarsier-specific transposons are indicated below each plot. The bushbaby TinTs represent the earliest divergence of primates. Their DNA transposon cumulative TinT pattern is similar to that of the tarsier. However, the LTR retrotransposons show a somewhat more heterogeneous pattern indicating changes in the population size or changes in LTR activity. In tarsier, the dominating DNA transposons are the Charlie3, MARNA, and HSMAR2 elements, which display recent activity in the tarsier. The ERV MSTB retroposons represented the most informative phylogenetically diagnostic insertions to clearly assign the common ancestor of Haplorrhini, including tarsiers and anthropoids, to a natural phylogenetic group¹⁴. The LTR77_TS elements were relevant for the transcription and genomic propagation of nearly 30,000 TINE retropseudogenes. The New World, squirrel monkey presents a rugged additive TinT pattern similar to that of human. However, the early anthropoid divergence and distribution of individual New World monkey elements also demand some obvious deviations from the human pattern. Timescales for each pattern run from left to right. The phylogenetic tree to the right indicates the different areas of the cumulative TinT profiles, separated into (1) non-primates, (2) prosimians and (3) tarsier or human (see also timescale for the first primate split at 63 Mya and the divergence of tarsier at 58 Myr ago). For the principles of the cumulative presentation of TinT patterns see Fig. 2. Drawings of animals are provided by Jon Baldur Hlioberg. Drawing of Tarsiiformes has been reproduced from Hartig et al.¹⁴ with permission.