Recurrence and propagation of past functions through mineral facilitated horizontal gene transfer
T. Verma, S. Hendiani, C. K. Carbajo Moral, S. B. Andersen, E. Hammarlund, M. Burmoelle, K. K. Sand
The paper shows that fragmented ancient DNA on mineral surfaces can be incorporated by bacteria, suggesting a non-random mechanism for genetic variation and evolutionary innovation.
bioRxiv · Jan 24, 2023Evolutionary Biology