Main description:

A sense of belonging is basic to the human experience. But in this, humans are not unique. Essentially all life, from bacteria to humans, have ways by which it determines which members belong and which do not. This is a basic cooperative nature of life I call group membership which is examined in this book. However, cooperation of living things is not easily accounted for by current theory of evolutionary biology and yet even viruses display group membership. That viruses have this feature would likely seem coincidental or irrelevant to most scientist as having any possible relationship to human group identity. Surely such simple molecular-based relationships between viruses are unrelated to the complex cognitive and emotional nature of human group membership. Yet viruses clearly affect bacterial group membership, which are the most diverse and abundant cellular life form on Earth and from which all life has evolved. Viruses are the most ancient, numerous and adaptable biological entities we know. And we have long recognized them for the harm and disease they can cause, and they have been responsible for the greatest numbers of human deaths. However, with the sequencing of entire genomes and more recently with the shotgun sequencings of habitats, we have come to realize viruses are the black hole of biology; a giant force that has until recently been largely unseen and historically ignored by evolutionary biology. Viruses not only can cause acute disease, but also persist as stable unseen agents in their host.

Feature:

Luis Villarreal is one of the most respected virologists in the country - if not the world; he is a true leader in the field

First volume to trace the evolution of biological identity systems from simple unicellular life forms, through the “tree of life” all the way to complex hominid social structures

Will also evaluate the role of genetic parasites in the origination of 'addiction' based molecular strategies

Back cover:

From bacteria to humans, all life has ways to recognize themselves and differentiate themselves from similar life forms. The ability to recognize similarity can be called group identity or group membership and also relates to group cooperation. Even viruses have the capacity for group identity and cooperation. However, those viruses that stably colonize bacteria can directly affect the group identity of their host. Starting with this virus-host relationship, this book traces the origin and evolution of group identity. By examining the stable, extrachromosomal viruses of bacteria, a strategy has been defined that is used for both virus persistence and group identity; this is the addiction module of phage P1. Thus, this book examines how genetic parasites and addiction modules have been involved in the origin of toxins/antitoxins modules as systems of group identity and immunity. The origin of sensory systems for light and small molecule (pheromone) detection and production, social motility, and programmed cell death are all examined. From the emergence of worms with brains, to vertebrate fish, to insects and tetrapods, olfaction and pheromones were maintained for group identity purposes and linked to addictive social bonding. In the African primates and humans, however, a great colonization by genetic parasites mostly destroyed this pheromone based system of social identity. This compelled primates to evolve enlarged social brains that used vision to learn group identity. Humans additionally evolved an even larger social brain and also developed a mind able to learned language and beliefs to specify group identity.

Contents:

An Overview: Identity from Bacteria to Belief.- The Prokaryotes: Virus, Hyperparasites and the Origin of Group Identity.- Sensory Systems (Light, Odor, Pheromones) in Communities of Oceanic Microbes.- Subjugation of the Individual; Prokaryotic Group Living – Blooms, Slime and Mats.- Animal Group Identity: From Slime to Worms, Emergence of the Brain.- Group Identity in Aquatic Animals: Learning to Belong.- Development of Tetrapod Group Identity, the Smell of Self.- Origin of Primate Group Identity: Vision and the Great ERV Invasion.- Human Group Identity: Language and a Social Mind.