Can Viruses Make Us Human?1 From: Proceedings of the American Philosophical Society | Date: September 1, 2004| Author: Villarreal, Luis P | Copyright American Philosophical Society Sep 2004. Provided by ProQuest LLC.Copyright information

THIS QUESTION WILL SELM preposterous to most. Viruses are molecular genetic parasites and are mostly recognized for their ability to induce disease in their host. Their effect on host evolution has long been thought to be like that of a predator on its prey, eliminating the host with weakened defenses. How can we propose any constructive role for viruses? Many viruses, however, can infect their host in a stable and persisting manner, generally with no disease, often for the life of the host. ...