How do GMOs affect evolution?

Expert response from GMOAnswers Admin_1

Wednesday, 11/05/2016 01:41

Genetically modified organisms can affect evolution but probably won’t. Variation in the sequences of genes serves as the source for change, i.e. for evolution. However, there must be some change, for example climate change, that selects for those individuals have variants of genes that make them more able to survive and produce offspring under the new climate. If there is no climate change, then those variant genes are lost by simple random mutation. It may take a long time, even millions of years to lose genes that are not used but it will happen.

In other words, evolution occurs using the variation in genetics, whether or not that variation is naturally occurring or man-made.

I believe you may be concerned about genetically-modified crops/animals and their effect on the course of evolution of native species that are able to be fertilized by those GMO crops. There are examples of where there has been cross-fertilization between a GMO crop and natives species; take squash for example. It is possible then that a GMO trait, such as resistance to viruses, could affect the evolution of native squashes.

Many human activities can and do effect the evolution of native species. For example, the improper use of herbicides can lead to weeds becoming to resistant to herbicide. Far more serious is the example of the overuse of antibiotics that cause antibiotic resistance in human pathogens to evolve.