Although they’re not technically ‘alive’ might viruses hold a place in our family tree?

All living things are related to each other, from elephants to algae, e-coli to humans like us. Within our cells we hold genetic information in the form of DNA or RNA. But despite viruses sharing these molecules, many scientists don’t consider them to be ‘life’.
Viruses cannot reproduce on their own, but some can insert their DNA into a host to pass genes sideways through the branching tree of life. As a result, viruses’ relationship with life is…. complex.[…]

Source: BBC World Service – CrowdScience, Am I related to a virus?