This Will Punctuate Your Equalibrium

[Auspex]

Summary:

Many animals, including humans, acquired essential 'foreign' genes from microorganisms co-habiting their environment in ancient times, according to new research. The study challenges conventional views that animal evolution relies solely on genes passed down through ancestral lines, suggesting that, at least in some lineages, the process is still ongoing.

This has implications in the acquisition of heritable traits, and the seemingly sudden appearance of novel forms, outside of genetic mutation: LINK

[ZiggieCie]

A very interesting article, thx.

[Auspex]

I have always been uneasy about simply ascribing the impetus behind evolution to vague and ill-described "random genetic mutation". The findings of this study (if they hold up) offer an alternate mechanism: "genetic infusion". Even if it is still pretty random, and even if it does not act alone, and even if the effect is indirect (altering the on/off switches, rather than restructuring the DNA molecule), it opens the door to a new way of thinking about speciation. I am going to keep an eye on it!

[Bullsnake]

Case in point?

http://www.livescience.com/6030-surprising-sea-slug-plant-animal.html