Monday, August 3, 2026
Science

Discovery of furtivovirus advances understanding of giant virus evolution

In evolutionary biology, all life on Earth is theoretically part of a single phylogenetic tree, indicating common ancestry. This model suggests that every living organism can be traced back to a distant common ancestor. However, viruses—which are not made of cells, but consist only of genetic materi...

Discovery of furtivovirus advances understanding of giant virus evolution
Image: Phys.org
In evolutionary biology, all life on Earth is theoretically part of a single phylogenetic tree, indicating common ancestry. This model suggests that every living organism can be traced back to a distant common ancestor. However, viruses—which are not made of cells, but consist only of genetic material—are not part of this traditional cellular tree of life, raising important questions about their origin and evolution.

Originally published at Phys.org

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