Editing Retrovirus (section)

==Early evolution==
Studies of retroviruses led to the first demonstrated synthesis of DNA from RNA templates, a fundamental mode for transferring genetic material that occurs in both [[eukaryote]]s and [[prokaryote]]s. It has been speculated that the RNA to DNA transcription processes used by retroviruses may have first caused DNA to be used as genetic material. In this model, the [[RNA world hypothesis]], cellular organisms adopted the more chemically stable DNA when retroviruses evolved to create [[DNA]] from the [[RNA]] templates.{{citation needed|date=November 2022}}

An estimate of the date of evolution of the foamy-like endogenous retroviruses placed the time of the most recent common ancestor at > {{Ma|450}}.<ref name=Aiewsakun>{{cite journal | vauthors = Aiewsakun P, Katzourakis A | title = Marine origin of retroviruses in the early Palaeozoic Era | journal = Nature Communications | volume = 8 | pages = 13954 | date = January 2017 | pmid = 28071651 | pmc = 5512871 | doi = 10.1038/ncomms13954 | bibcode = 2017NatCo...813954A }}</ref>