Cockroaches carry thousands of fragments of bacterial DNA in their own genomes—and that's not metaphor, it's fact scientists have confirmed. According to Ars Technica, this discovery reveals that horizontal gene transfer—the swapping of genetic material between species—happens far beyond the microbial world. The implications are profound: these insects may have acquired genes from bacteria that give them their legendary resilience. It's a reminder that evolution doesn't work like a locked filing cabinet, but more like an open-source library where genes move freely between organisms in ways we're still uncovering.

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