# evol: nonlinear effects in shaping human evolution, the role of viruses

<< Human evolution used to be depicted as a straight line, gradually progressing from an ape-like ancestor to modern Homo sapiens. But thanks to next-generation sequencing, findings in recent years have shown that it wasn’t quite so orderly. Now, a new study is reporting new details about the role of viruses in shaping evolution, in particular, viral interactions between modern humans and Neanderthals. >>

<< Many Neanderthal sequences have been lost in modern humans, but some stayed and appear to have quickly increased to high frequencies at the time of contact, suggestive of their selective benefits at that time, >> Dmitri Petrov

New study reports the role of viruses in shaping evolution. Oct 5, 2018.

https://thesurg.com/virus-shaping-evolution

AA << hypothesized that interbreeding between Neanderthals and modern humans led to (1) the exposure of each species to novel viruses and (2) the exchange of adaptive alleles that provided resistance against these viruses. >>

David Enard, Dmitri A. Petrov. Evidence that RNA Viruses Drove Adaptive Introgression between Neanderthals and Modern Humans. Cell. 175 (2) P360-371.E13 Oct 4, 2018.

https://www.cell.com/cell/fulltext/S0092-8674(18)31095-X