4 ms·

I read a previous article years ago that argued certain traits (mental illness, risk-taking, etc.) could be the result of viruses that successfully joined the h

by iaw 9y ago

I read a previous article years ago that argued certain traits (mental illness, risk-taking, etc.) could be the result of viruses that successfully joined the human genome via the reproductive organs. This area of study could end up pretty interesting.

ComputerGuru 9y ago
I don’t think it makes a difference though if the genetic changes happen via happenstance (cosmic radiation, etc) or via infiltration due to viruses, etc, does it? Isn’t it all one and the same to evolution?
- lisper 9y ago
  Yep. A DNA sequence is a DNA sequence. Once it has successfully installed itself into your genome it doesn't matter where it came from. There's no revision control in DNA.
- PoachedSausage 9y ago
  I don't think it is the same. Virus DNA has the purpose of making more Virus, it has function and structure, not just overwriting with randomness.
pavel_lishin 9y ago
Was the hypothesis only argued for negative traits? I don't see any particular reason why traits we find distasteful today, and only those, are blamed on ancient viruses.
- Retric 9y ago
  The article mentions both. While random mutations are more likely to be negative than positive, selection pressure means that older changes are more likely to be neutral or positive if they remain.
pazimzadeh 9y ago
Acquisition of the RAG proteins responsible for generating the diversity of your immune system's B and T cell repertoire (allowing you to develop defenses to microbes you have never seen before) may be the result of a herpes virus inserting itself into germ line cells of our ancestors (likely sea lamprey or sea urchin). In short, without viruses we wouldn't be able to defend ourselves against viruses (and other pathogens). Source: http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0005778 http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.... PDF: https://www.pdf-archive.com/2017/10/06/journal-pone-0005778/ https://www.pdf-archive.com/2017/10/06/journal-pone-0005778/
tim333 9y ago
They probably play a part in Schizophrenia http://discovermagazine.com/2010/jun/03-the-insanity-virus http://discovermagazine.com/2010/jun/03-the-insanity-virus

by iaw 9y ago

ComputerGuru 9y ago

I don’t think it makes a difference though if the genetic changes happen via happenstance (cosmic radiation, etc) or via infiltration due to viruses, etc, does it? Isn’t it all one and the same to evolution?

lisper 9y ago
Yep. A DNA sequence is a DNA sequence. Once it has successfully installed itself into your genome it doesn't matter where it came from. There's no revision control in DNA.
PoachedSausage 9y ago
I don't think it is the same. Virus DNA has the purpose of making more Virus, it has function and structure, not just overwriting with randomness.

pavel_lishin 9y ago

Was the hypothesis only argued for negative traits? I don't see any particular reason why traits we find distasteful today, and only those, are blamed on ancient viruses.

Retric 9y ago
The article mentions both. While random mutations are more likely to be negative than positive, selection pressure means that older changes are more likely to be neutral or positive if they remain.

pazimzadeh 9y ago

Acquisition of the RAG proteins responsible for generating the diversity of your immune system's B and T cell repertoire (allowing you to develop defenses to microbes you have never seen before) may be the result of a herpes virus inserting itself into germ line cells of our ancestors (likely sea lamprey or sea urchin). In short, without viruses we wouldn't be able to defend ourselves against viruses (and other pathogens). Source: http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0005778 http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.... PDF: https://www.pdf-archive.com/2017/10/06/journal-pone-0005778/ https://www.pdf-archive.com/2017/10/06/journal-pone-0005778/

tim333 9y ago

They probably play a part in Schizophrenia http://discovermagazine.com/2010/jun/03-the-insanity-virus http://discovermagazine.com/2010/jun/03-the-insanity-virus