Researchers from Kyoto University and McGill University employed phylogenetic methods to better classify endogenous retrovirus subfamilies within transposable elements (TEs), which comprise nearly half the human genome. The study identified novel TE subfamilies and conserved transcription factor binding motifs linked to embryonic development and cell proliferation. This refined annotation enhances understanding of TEs’ roles as genetic switches influencing gene regulation and evolutionary processes in primates, as published in Science Advances.