Gene duplication (or
chromosomal duplication or
gene amplification) is a major mechanism through which new genetic material is generated during
molecular evolution. It can be defined as any duplication of a region of
DNA that contains a
gene. Gene duplications can arise as products of several types of errors in DNA replication and repair machinery as well as through fortuitous capture by selfish genetic elements. Common sources of gene duplications include ectopic
homologous recombination,
retrotransposition event,
aneuploidy,
polyploidy, and
replication slippage.