Many Neglected Tropical Diseases May Have Originated in the Paleolithic or Before: New Insights from Genetics

Gabriel Trueba,Micah Dunthorn,Simon Brooker

doi:10.1371/journal.pntd.0001393

Gabriel Trueba, Micah Dunthorn + Show 1 more

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https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pntd.0001393

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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.

Highlights

A prevailing view of the origins of modern human–specific infectious diseases is that many of them arose and spread during the advent of animal domestication and urbanization in the Neolithic or afterwards [1,2,3]
There is evidence for Neolithic origins in such diseases as measles [4]. One consequence of this view is that the search for the origins of diseases, such as tuberculosis, malaria, pertussis, etc., has focused on domesticated animals and environments outside of Africa
With new genetics and molecular clock data we are beginning to understand that some neglected tropical diseases arose much earlier in the Paleolithic, such as tapeworm [5] or mycobacterial infections [6]

Summary

Introduction

A prevailing view of the origins of modern human–specific infectious diseases is that many of them arose and spread during the advent of animal domestication and urbanization in the Neolithic or afterwards [1,2,3]. One consequence of this view is that the search for the origins of diseases, such as tuberculosis, malaria, pertussis, etc., has focused on domesticated animals and environments outside of Africa. In support of this recent origin theory is an absence of leprosy in pre-Columbian Americans [8], and little genetic variation among isolates of Mycobacteria leprae [9,10], the causative agent of this infectious disease.

Results

Conclusion