Abstract:The understanding of foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) evolution has been marked by the recognition of high mutation rates， large population， and short life cycles that make the virus becoming one of the best models for studying evolution. FMDV applies different kinds of mechanisms such as mutation， genetic drift， shift， recombination and selective pressure from environment to adapt to evolution. The dynamic changes of virus lead to various strains among regions which have significant differences in host tropism， viral virulence and their antigens. These characteristics all contribute to abundant FMDV genetic diversity. Here， we summarize the driving forces， mechanisms and results of FMDV evolution， especially its biological effects on hosts.