Noncoding DNA and Evolution
Shared sequences of apparently non-functional DNA are a major line of evidence of common descent.
Pseudogene sequences appear to accumulate mutations more rapidly than coding sequences due to a loss of selective pressure. This allows for the creation of mutant alleles that incorporate new functions that may be favored by natural selection; thus, pseudogenes can serve as raw material for evolution and can be considered "protogenes".
Read more about this topic: Noncoding DNA
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