Probing Evolution
Is Memory a Virus? How Retroviruses Shaped the Human Mind
When brains evolved by virtue of viruses.
All land animals have an Arc gene in their brain. This gene serves as the “master regulator” that determines how neuronal synapses (i.e., neuronal connections) form in the brain.
Two independent research groups [1,2] have published their findings in the prestigious academic journal, Cell, in 2018 — showing that Arc behaves like viruses and has ancestral roots in retroviruses.
Function of Arc
In a sense, the Arc gene moulds and sculpts the brain connections — forming the mind — making amphibians think like amphibians, birds like birds, reptiles like reptiles, monkeys like monkeys, and humans like humans.
As the experts in the field, Dr. Nicholas Parrish and Prof. Keizo Tomonaga put it: “These processes underlie brain functions ranging from classical operant conditioning to human cognition and the concept of ‘self’.”
If there are any genetic issues with the Arc gene, brain development and learning capacity become jeopardized. “Arc has previously been implicated in autism and other neurodevelopmental disorders,” as Dr Parrish and Prof Tomonaga stated.
