A segmented viral genome can facilitate rapid evolution of new viral strains.
Explanation:
Viruses are non-cellular entities which contain one or molecules of DNA or RNA as their genetic material enclosed inside a protein capsule.
Viruses are obligate intracellular parasites and cannot replicate outside a living cell.
The virus integrates its genome into the host genome and uses its mechanism to replicate its genome.
In other words we can say that viruses actually hijack hosts replication machinery.
The fragment of viral genome which disintegrates itself from the host genome after successful replication might carry fragments of host genome. Thus the viral genome gets modified and may evolve.
