Toxoplasma gondii(source: A.J. Cann) It’s long been known that many organisms are parasites, i.e., they survive by living off a host. In recent years we’ve learned that some of them can improve on their life strategy by manipulating their host’s behavior. A fungus, Ophiocordyceps unilateralis, will invade an ant’s brain and direct its host to... Read More

Incidence of chlamydia, a major cause of infertility. The high polygyny rate among the “female farming� peoples of sub-Saharan Africa may have favored the evolution of STDs. Is this where we should look for the precursor of the hypothetical “gay germ�? (source) Heritability for male homosexuality is low to moderate (30 to 45%). There is... Read More