#altruistic armadillos zenlike zebras: a menagerie of 100 favorite animals

[dreamer434]

“Surely. As E. coli took refuge in our innards. Doubtless long ago the ancestors of E. coli killed a great many of our ancestors before eventually becoming the beneficial symbionts they are now, helping us digest our food.

“The same applies to viruses, I’d wager. Heritable cancers and rheumatoid arthritis are just temporary awkwardnesses. Eventually, those genes will be comfortably incorporated. They’ll be part of the genetic diversity that prepares us to meet challenges ahead.

“Why, I’d wager a large portion of our present genes came about in such a way, entering our cells first as invaders . . .”

David Brin from The Giving Plague