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Evolutionary approaches to sexually transmitted infections
Author(s) -
Nesse Randolph M.,
Foxman Betsy
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
annals of the new york academy of sciences
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.712
H-Index - 248
eISSN - 1749-6632
pISSN - 0077-8923
DOI - 10.1111/j.1749-6632.2011.06078.x
Subject(s) - evolutionary medicine , evolutionary biology , biology , trace (psycholinguistics) , biological evolution , darwinism , human evolutionary genetics , data science , computer science , phylogenetics , genetics , gene , philosophy , linguistics
Evolutionary approaches are particularly valuable for studies of sexually transmitted diseases. Methods for tracing evolutionary phylogenies have powerful new applications that use genetic data to trace the history of pathogens across millions of years, within outbreaks lasting years, and even within individuals. Equally valuable are less widely appreciated evolutionary methods for analyzing how host–pathogen co‐evolution shapes extreme traits whose costs can be substantial. These and other applications of Darwinian medicine will improve understanding and treatment of sexually transmitted diseases.