Boophis tephraeomystax, a frog from Madagascar Ryosuke Kakehashi
Many snakes make meals of frogs, but some appear to be transferring their DNA into the amphibians as well. A genetic analysis suggests that parasites shared between snakes and frogs may facilitate the movement of genetic material from one species to another.
The “horizontal” transfer of DNA between species was long considered a rare event that took place only between microbes, but there is growing evidence that the process has been going on all over the tree of life.
Genetic sequences called transposons – also known as “jumping genes” and sometimes…
