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Introduction By applying evolutionary theory to medicine, a small group of researchers and scientists created a new sub-field of science--one just over a decade old, which promises to improve our lives by looking at the past. In what is considered to be the founding paper which gave this particular brand of scientific research and application its name, Nesse and Williams' "The Dawn of Darwinian Medicine," published in 1991, garnered attention for the concept. This new but growing field tackles medical concerns with a different perspective: a focus on why and how our bodies behave as they do, particularly in response to illness and disease, taking into account the concepts of selective pressure and organism fitness. One definition of Darwinian medicine calls it "[the pursuit of] how evolutionary theory can sharpen the efficacy of medical practice." Why do pathogens behave the way they do? Why are some fatal diseases still prevalent in our population? What are our defense mechanisms, and how do they work? In what ways can an evolutionary context help us better understand our health problems? All of these questions fall under the relatively wide scope of the field, in which a Darwinian approach can offer explanations of disease vulnerability, new treatment ideas and a deeper understanding of our biological history and progress.
Applications of Darwinian Medicine
The Future of Darwinian Medicine
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