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Chimps, AIDS, And Immunity

Posted by Hemos on from the outlasting-it dept.

Anonymous Coward writes "Researchers at the Biomedical Primate Research Center in The Netherlands have come up with a theory as to why modern chimps don't develop AIDS and its variants. The chimps in the study were found to share a usually uniform cluster of genes in the area that controls their immune systems' defenses against disease. This lack of genetic diversity suggests that a lethal sickness attacked chimps in the distant past. The theory postulates that approximately 2 million years ago an AIDS-like epidemic wiped out a large portion of the chimpanzee population. Those that survived developed an immunity to AIDS and its variants. If this theory holds true it may explain why some humans who are repeatedly exposed to HIV don't get sick."

4 of 457 comments (clear)

  1. Monkey skin condoms!! by Unknown+Poltroon · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    Problem solved.

    Hey mods, this is humor, not a troll. See the difference?

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    All Troll + "offtopic" mods are meta moderated as "Unfair", because you abused the system.
    1. Re:Monkey skin condoms!! by FCAdcock · · Score: 0, Offtopic

      I don't care if I fell for anything. Just the fact that someone would make a joke like that is extremely sad and pathetic... Anyone who would even joke about that is such a sad individual that I pray they be shot and saved a lifetime of ridicule for being an IDIOT!

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      --Forest C. Adcock--
  2. Re:Cure with Chimps? by susano_otter · · Score: 0, Offtopic
    ... but I wan't a cure for humans.

    Me? I'm just waiting for a cure for fucking apostrophe misuse.

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    Any sufficiently well-organized community is indistinguishable from Government.

  3. Stinky Theory by Tablizer · · Score: 1, Offtopic


    I have a theory that things like hallitosis (bad breath) and B.O. are actually present in my people because they protect them from close contact. Close contact spreads colds and lots of other air-, hand- and siliva-born illnesses.

    If people don't want to get near you because you smell, then you won't get sick as often.

    Of course, it may have reduced you mating choices also.

    Just a theory. Note that there is also a theory that nearsightedness tends to keep one out of wars being that squinting soldiers don't make an army very look very frightening and don't shoot as strait, and are thus less likely to be picked for battles.

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    Table-ized A.I.