03-15-2018, 09:41 PM
(03-15-2018, 09:34 PM)michaelsean Wrote: Just curious: I recently heard sickle cell was an evolutionary development to fight malaria. Is that true and if so is it common knowledge? I had never heard that.
That is a theory. As I mentioned in my post, it exists primarily in a certain region, not even all of Africa. It comes from regions prone to malaria outbreaks and there is evidence to suggest that the sickle cell trait makes one more resilient against malaria.
So, it is quite possible that it is a trait that has evolved through natural selection to fight malaria and then some was corrupted and caused anemia.
I just have to use language that is very generic in this way because we can see strong correlations, but to say with certainty would be difficult.
"A great democracy has got to be progressive, or it will soon cease to be either great or a democracy..." - TR
"The test of our progress is not whether we add more to the abundance of those who have much; it is whether we provide enough for those who have too little." - FDR
"The test of our progress is not whether we add more to the abundance of those who have much; it is whether we provide enough for those who have too little." - FDR
