If I understand Lewontin's critique, the environment does act upon the virus to produce characteristics. As a population biologist, I would hardly expect him to think otherwise. It's a valid point; tb and polio did not pop into being, fully formed, with the current morbidity, mortality, epidemiology and clinical course.
If I recall correctly, tuberculosis is a bovine disease that crossed over to humans (a zoonose). (A little googling seems to confirm this). I'm unsure as to the origins of poliomyelitis. A bunch more googling is relatively unfruitful, except as to trace it fairly far back in history and confirm that it can be passed from human to ape. So it's possibly a zoonose as well.
I have a book which deals with the changing clinical course of tuberculosis in history at home. To summarize, tuberculosis essentially replaced leprosy of the mycobacterium of choice in the 14th century, since it provides a degree of cross-immunity. Leprosariums then emptied themselves of lepers and filled with everything but, providing the grounds for the modern hospital.
> i think others and i have mentioned this before on this list, iirc...
> apologies for jumping in the middle of the debate!
2 emails does not a debate make. Thanks for expanding it. I defined the question rather narrowly, mea culpa.
m.
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> | The most stupid ideas can now in a <
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