Horizontal gene transfer (HGT) and epigenetics complicate Common Ancestry
"The classic evidence for universal common ancestry...is largely restricted to local' common ancestry-for example, of specific phyla rather than the entirety of life-and has yet to fully integrate the recent advances from modern phylogenetics and probability theory. Although UCA is widely assumed, it has rarely been subjected to formal quantitative testing." -Nature, 2010 Horizontal gene transfer (HGT) and epigenetics can both introduce complexities into common ancestry studies that rely primarily on traditional phylogenetic analysis of DNA sequences. Here's how: Horizontal Gene Transfer (HGT) Challenges the Tree of Life Model: Traditional phylogenetic studies often assume a vertical inheritance of genetic material from parent to offspring, resulting in a tree-like pattern of evolutionary relationships. HGT, where genes are transferred between unrelated organisms, disrupts this pattern, making it look more like a web or network. This can make it difficult