Natural GMOs Part 195. Plants That Practice Genetic Engineering - NYTimes.com

Jason Hollinger, Wikipedia, Creative Commons

Carl Zimmer on the job about the genes from the hornwort found in mosses:

In the debate over genetically modified crops, one oft-said word is “unnatural.” People typically use itwhen describing how scientists move genes from one species into another.

But nature turns out to be its own genetic engineer. Genes have moved from one species of plant to another for millions of years.

Scientists describe a spectacular case this week in The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences in which ferns acquired a gene for sensing light from a moss-like plant called hornwort. Gaining the gene appears to have enabled the ferns to thrive in shady forests...

@ Plants That Practice Genetic Engineering - NYTimes.com: