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TRANSITIONS. “Viruses were involved in all of the major evolutionary transitions. We need to rewrite the first chapter of evolution. Evolution got jump-started by a virus.” https://lnkd.in/guhpmyR View in LinkedIn

TOTAL BLANK. “The history of evolutionary biology is essentially devoid of considering the consequences of viruses, especially those that persist and colonize.” https://lnkd.in/guhpmyR View in LinkedIn

FUNDAMENTAL IDENTITY. “So what really marks the distinction of us from are nearest relative are the viruses that colonized our respective genomes. The viruses were directly involved in differentiating our lineage from the chimpanzee lineage. In that context, it’s not junk, it’s who we are.” https://lnkd.in/guhpmyR View in LinkedIn

FORK IN THE ROAD. “Long ago, when viruses integrated into primates, they began redrawing their blueprint.” Beneficial changes accumulated and primates gave rise to a new species, homo sapiens. “And as both species went their own ways, both species were continually colonized by their own unique viruses.” https://lnkd.in/guhpmyR View in LinkedIn

JUNK DNA. Our genomes are 99% similar to primates, but it is retroviruses that make humans unique, in junk DNA. 93-95% of human DNA is junk DNA. “We are predominantly junk. But junk DNA is the remains of ancient retroviruses.” https://lnkd.in/guhpmyR View in LinkedIn

OUR GENOMES. “Designated by some to be the graveyards of endogenous retroviruses.” https://lnkd.in/guhpmyR View in LinkedIn

OUR ROOTS. “Retroviruses can help to explain how viruses evolved into human beings.” https://lnkd.in/guhpmyR View in LinkedIn

VIRAL IMPACT. “How has this rewiring affected our species?” https://lnkd.in/guhpmyR View in LinkedIn

WHO WE ARE. “It is really easy to come to the conclusion that we are viruses.” https://lnkd.in/guhpmyR View in LinkedIn

MERGED BEINGS. Viral integration into the germline “when a virus and a host merge: they are not acting like viruses, but they are a part of our own genetic fabric, which could affect the future course of evolution.” Retroviruses can change our genetic code. https://lnkd.in/guhpmyR View in LinkedIn