Biology Quote by Jerry A. Coyne
![“[...] if truth be told, evolution hasn’t yielded many practical or commercial benefits. Yes, bacteria evolve drug resistance, and yes, we must take countermeasures, but beyond that there is not much to say. Evolution cannot help us predict what new vaccines to manufacture because microbes evolve…” quote by Jerry A. Coyne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/82a/jerry-a-coyne-13913_biology_if-truth-be-told-evolution-hasn-t-yielde_1623500.jpg)
““[...] if truth be told, evolution hasn’t yielded many practical or commercial benefits. Yes, bacteria evolve drug resistance, and yes, we must take countermeasures, but beyond that there is not much to say. Evolution cannot help us predict what new vaccines to manufacture because microbes evolve unpredictably. But hasn’t evolution helped guide animal and plant breeding? Not very much. Most improvement in crop plants and animals occurred long before we knew anything about evolution, and came about by people following the genetic principle of ‘like begets like’. Even now, as its practitioners admit, the field of quantitative genetics has been of little value in helping improve varieties. Future advances will almost certainly come from transgenics, which is not based on evolution at all. [review of The Evolving World: Evolution in Everyday Life, Nature 442, 983-984 (31 August 2006)]””
About This Quote
Source Article: Review of The Evolving World, Nature 442, 2006
Evolution provides limited direct practical benefits; most advances come from deliberate genetic manipulation rather than natural selection.
In simple terms: Evolution offers few direct applications; human-driven genetics dominate.
Key Takeaway
Focus on engineered solutions over relying on natural evolution.
Themes
science
genetics
technology
limitations
progress
Mood
skeptical
analytical
critical
Type
scientific
analytical
When to use this quote
- agricultural breeding
- medical research
- drug development
- policy making
- public health
Key Concepts
natural selection
quantitative genetics
transgenics
innovation
Questions to Reflect On
- How can we better integrate evolutionary insights into applied science?
- What ethical concerns arise from relying on transgenics?
A Different Perspective
Evolutionary unpredictability hampers precise forecasting for vaccines.
