Virus and the evolution of life
The capacity of
a persistent virus to adapt to become an acute viral agent in another host
seems to be a never-ending ability. As long as there are multiple species that
can share viruses, the possibility of virus adaptation appears ever present.
Related species would almost always seem at he highest
risk of such virus exchange, since the new host habitat would be close to what
the jumping virus needs. If this situation is extrapolated, it suggests that
virus persistence may well affect competition between host species. It may be
that the most successful species could be the ones colonized with the
appropriate persistent viruses, which could acutely infect competing species.
(p. 365)
Comment: This
probably explains why we are not emotionally close to closely related species
such as chimpanzee. This may also explain the quantum differences between
species.
The successful
growth, or overgrowth, of any one population of host species appears to
increase the probability of acquiring acute viral agents. Large host population
create a population dynamic which increase population contact rates that
predisposes this successful population to the possible adaptation of any
infection by a persistent virus n another species. The more
successful the host, the greater the number of acute viral agents that are
likely to adapt. Thus, we expect that success itself of a population
brings with it an increased risk of contact with other species harboring
persistent viruses.
Comment: This
explains why the rich and successful