Sequence Specific Amplification Polymorphisms (SSAP) were used to measure the distribution and structure of SIRE-1 retroelement populations in annual and perennial Glycine species. For SSAP analysis, primers corresponding to a region immediately upstream of the 3’LTR of the soybean retroelement SIRE-1 were chosen. Analysis reveals that SIRE-1 is present throughout the Glycine genus and shows that the annual species have similar SIRE-1 populations whilst the perennial species have much more distinct and diverse populations. The high number of species-specific subgroups suggest that SIRE-1 has been active and evolving independently in each species during the course of Glycine evolution.