From Ben Gibson
Garry Hamilton argues that the transmission of genetic information by viruses challenges the dominance of the selfish gene as the power behind evolution by allowing a give-and-take of genetic information between organisms (30 August, p 38).
Does it not strengthen the selfish gene argument? Genes spreading independently of the species they originated in confirm their place as evolution’s unit of replication – a central idea in the selfish gene theory.
Llanfrynach, Powys, UK
