Jumping Genes Hop across Species to Stir Human Evolution

Reproduction is typically how humans share genetic information. This genetic transfer is referred to as vertical or passing traits “down,” so to speak.However, some organisms share genes through horizontal DNA exchange, meaning a transfer that is not parent-to-offspring. This process is well understood in simple organisms, such as bacteria, where it plays a key role in their ability to exchange the genes that encode for antibiotic resistance. A new paper investigates the possible rol