Conclusions
TEs have shown a variety of impacts on their host genomes. In this review, we describe HERV, Alu, L1, and SVA elements, which are thought to still be active in the human genome. A number of research studies related to TEs have shed new light on their amplification mechanisms and their function in primate genomes. Furthermore, recent research of TEs in the rhesus macaque genome provides a glimpse into their diversity and strong influence on the overall differences in genomic architecture between the Old World monkey (e.g., rhesus macaque) and hominid (e.g., human and ape) lineages [67]. The occurrence of de novo TE insertions, TE insertion-mediated deletions, and post-insertion recombination between TEs within the human and chimpanzee lineages has caused genetic alteration, lineage-specific genomic rearrangements, and phenotypic variations, further contributing to the divergence of humans and chimpanzees. As a whole, this review calls into question whether TEs should be considered "junk" DNA at all. Rather, TEs represent a potent evolutionary force associated with genomic fluidity in their host genomes.