The Immortality of Genes

Natural selection operates at the level of individual genes rather than species, allowing certain genes to persist over millions of years. Unlike mortal bodies, which are temporary vessels, genes can endure through successive generations by programming the development of those bodies to ensure their survival. This perspective presents organisms as survival machines designed primarily to protect and propagate their genetic material. Today’s genetic codes can reveal insights about the distant past, offering glimpses into the environments in which ancestral species thrived.