Expert: Dana Krempels, Ph.D. - 11/30/2007

Question
I know about artificial genetic engineering but is there such a thing as "natural genetic engineering"?
I read some internet sites about it but I'm not sure if they are accurate.

Answer
Dear A.J.

Genetic engineering is the modification of genomes by humans.  I wouldn't call the analog in nature "engineering," because that implies a purposefulness that does not exist in the natural world, as far as we know.

Genomes in wild species change as a result of mutation, natural selection, genetic drift, and other processes.  These changes--and particularly those due to natural selection--often have the end result of making a species better suited for survival and reproduction in its habitat.  Whether you'd call this "engineering" or not is up to you.  But I wouldn't.

There is also evidence that over the time that life has existed on earth, genes have been transferred between species by intermediaries such as viruses.  Humans do this type of thing purposefully, artificially, and we call it engineering. But when it happens naturally, is it truly engineering?  

I'd say no.  But I'm guessing that this is the type of thing that some authors might call "natural genetic engineering."  It's semantics.

Hope that helps.

Dana