  Transposable elements are DNA sequences that can move around to different
positions in the genome. During this process, they can cause mutations, and
lead to an increase in genome size. Despite representing a large genomic
fraction, transposable elements have no clear biological function. This work
builds upon a previous model, to propose a new concept of natural selection
which combines Lamarckian and Darwinian elements. Transposable elements are
hypothesised to be the vector of a flow of genetic information from soma to
germline, that shapes gene regulatory regions across the genome. The paper
introduces the concept, presents and discusses the body of evidence in support
of this hypothesis, and suggests an experiment to test it.
