# Horizontal Gene Transfer **Domain:** Evolution / Microbiology / Inheritance **Doc Type:** Canonical Concept Node **Maturity:** Developed ## Definition **Horizontal gene transfer** is the movement of genetic material between organisms outside ordinary parent-to-offspring inheritance. ## Evolutionary Nexus Bacterial genetics complicates the simple tree of life with network-like inheritance. [[articles/The Evolutionary Roots of Silicon Valley|The Evolutionary Roots of Silicon Valley]] reaches this concept through Joshua Lederberg's work on bacterial genetic exchange. ## Machine Context Models and software also inherit modules, datasets and behaviors laterally. Shared components establish causal ancestry but do not make systems one subject. Provenance must represent networks as well as trees. ## See Also [[wiki/Genetic Recombination|Genetic Recombination]], [[wiki/Provenance|Provenance]], [[wiki/Descent vs Derivation|Descent vs Derivation]], [[wiki/Distributed Intelligence|Distributed Intelligence]]