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MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are endogenously expressed small noncoding RNAs.The genomic locations of animal miRNAs are significantly clustered in discrete loci.We found duplication and de novo formation were important mechanisms to create miRNA clusters and the clustered miRNAs tend to be evolutionarily conserved.We proposed a "functional co-adaptation" model to explain how clustering helps newly emerged miRNAs survive and develop functions.