Today's Holy Crap Science Moment:
Jul. 19th, 2008 03:33 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
theweaselkingSymbiotic endogeneous retroviruses in viviparous mammals
Short version: the reason most mammals are capable of live birth is that our ancestor *ate* a virus, one much along the lines of HIV. In the process of and after killing it, they developed a hugely more effective immune system, and now they produce this virus selectively to protect their embryos from this violently more powerful immune system.
HOLY CRAP.
Biology is cool.
Short version: the reason most mammals are capable of live birth is that our ancestor *ate* a virus, one much along the lines of HIV. In the process of and after killing it, they developed a hugely more effective immune system, and now they produce this virus selectively to protect their embryos from this violently more powerful immune system.
HOLY CRAP.
Biology is cool.