# Animal Breeding Is an Old Form of Genetic Engineering by Lee Silver > “As I told my class, we've been practicing genetic engineering on animals for the last 10,000 years. Genetic engineering is the foundation of civilization.” > **— Lee Silver**, *PBS Frontline interview* ## Sources and Context - **Primary or original-context publication:** [Silver’s PBS Frontline interview](https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/fertility/interviews/silver.html) — Silver calls domestication and selective breeding genetic engineering; this is not a claim about modern gene editing. - **Exact original wording:** “As I told my class, we've been practicing genetic engineering on animals for the last 10,000 years. Genetic engineering is the foundation of civilization.” ## Related Articles and Collections - **Collection:** [[collections/Simple Reminders|Simple Reminders]] - **Article:** [[articles/The Evolutionary Roots of Silicon Valley|The Evolutionary Roots of Silicon Valley]] - **Article:** [[articles/The Pearl Effect - Part 2 - Genetic Mimicry and the Dysgenic Impacts on Humanity|The Pearl Effect - Part 2 - Genetic Mimicry and the Dysgenic Impacts on Humanity]] ## Related Topics - [[wiki/Self-Directed Evolution|Self-Directed Evolution]] - [[wiki/Artificial Selection|Artificial Selection]] ## Share on Social Media ``` “As I told my class, we've been practicing genetic engineering on animals for the last 10,000 years. Genetic engineering is the foundation of civilization.” — Lee Silver, PBS Frontline interview https://bryantmcgill.com/simple-reminders-lee-silver-animal-breeding-old-form-genetic-engineering ```