▁the ▁longer ▁L INE ▁repet itive ▁DNA ▁are ▁special ized ▁for ▁un cou pling ▁inter chrom os om al ▁gene ▁conversion . ▁In ▁both ▁cases , ▁the ▁inter sp ers ed ▁repe ats ▁block ▁gene ▁conversion ▁by ▁inserting ▁regions ▁of ▁non - hom ology ▁within ▁otherwise ▁similar ▁DNA ▁sequences . ▁The ▁hom ogen izing ▁forces ▁linking ▁DNA ▁sequences ▁are ▁thereby ▁broken ▁and ▁the ▁DNA ▁sequences ▁are ▁free ▁to ▁evol ve ▁independently . ▁This ▁leads ▁to ▁the ▁creation ▁of ▁new ▁gen es ▁and ▁new ▁species ▁during ▁evolution . ▁By ▁breaking ▁the ▁links ▁that ▁would ▁otherwise ▁overwrite ▁novel ▁DNA ▁sequence ▁variations , ▁inter sp ers ed ▁repe ats ▁catal y se ▁evolution , ▁allowing ▁the ▁new ▁gen es ▁and ▁new ▁species ▁to ▁develop . ▁ ▁Inter sp ers ed ▁DNA ▁elements ▁catal y ze ▁the ▁evolution ▁of ▁new ▁gen es ▁DNA ▁sequences ▁are ▁linked ▁together ▁in ▁a ▁gene ▁pool ▁by ▁gene ▁conversion ▁events . ▁Insert ion ▁of ▁an ▁inter sp ers ed ▁DNA ▁element ▁breaks ▁this ▁link age , ▁allowing ▁independent ▁evolution ▁of ▁a ▁new ▁gene . ▁The ▁inter sp ers ed ▁repeat ▁is ▁an ▁isol ating ▁mechanism ▁en abling ▁new ▁gen es ▁to ▁evol ve ▁without ▁inter ference ▁from ▁the ▁pro gen itor ▁gene . ▁Because ▁insert ion ▁of ▁an ▁inter sp ers ed ▁repeat ▁is ▁a ▁salt atory ▁event ▁the ▁evolution ▁of ▁the ▁new ▁gene ▁will ▁also ▁be ▁salt atory . ▁Because ▁spe ci ation ▁ultimately ▁depends ▁on ▁the ▁creation ▁of ▁new ▁gen es , ▁this ▁naturally ▁causes ▁pun ctu ated ▁equilib ria