Far from being silent relics, many pseudogenes are transcribed into RNA, some exhibiting a tissue-specific pattern of activation.

FORBES: The Myth ... of the Myth of Junk DNA

Much of the evidence he cites also is even finding function for pseudogenes.

FORBES: The Myth ... of the Myth of Junk DNA

The finding that pseudogenes are often deregulated during cancer progression warrants further investigation into the true extent of pseudogene function.

FORBES: The Myth ... of the Myth of Junk DNA

In the mouse, around 20% turned out to be pseudogenes, whereas in chimpanzees, gorillas and orang-utans the level was closer to 30%.

ECONOMIST: Smell, vision and genes: More colour, less odour | The

In another remarkable discovery, it has been shown that pseudogenes are capable of regulating tumor suppressors and oncogenes by acting as microRNA decoys.

FORBES: The Myth ... of the Myth of Junk DNA

The team then found their counterparts in several species of primate, and also in the mouse, and compared the ratio of pseudogenes with intact, functional genes across the species.

ECONOMIST: Smell, vision and genes: More colour, less odour | The