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- Title
Many Neglected Tropical Diseases May Have Originated in the Paleolithic or Before: New Insights from Genetics.
- Authors
Trueba, Gabriel; Dunthorn, Micah
- Abstract
The standard view of modern human infectious diseases is that many of them arose during the Neolithic when animals were first domesticated, or afterwards. Here we review recent genetic and molecular clock estimates that point to a much older Paleolithic origin (2.5 million years ago to 10,000 years ago) of some of these diseases. During part of this ancient period our early human ancestors were still isolated in Africa. We also discuss the need for investigations of the origin of these diseases in African primates and other animals that have been the original source of many neglected tropical diseases.
- Subjects
AFRICA; TROPICAL medicine; COMMUNICABLE diseases; DOMESTIC animal genetics; PRIMATES; PALEOLITHIC Period; NEOLITHIC Period
- Publication
PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases, 2012, Vol 6, Issue 3, p1
- ISSN
1935-2727
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1371/journal.pntd.0001393