Ecology &
Evolutionary Biology

Climate change increases connectivity in pathogen fitness space. This is an evolutionary invitation for pathogens to explore, encountering hosts that are susceptible but have never before been exposed. The Stockholm Paradigm, of which Prof. Brooks is a co-founder, integrates Ecological Fitting in SloppyFitness Space, the OscillationHypothesis of host range changes, the GeographicMosaic Theory of Coevolution, and the TaxonPulse Hypothesis to explain the current crisis of emerging diseases as a recurring phenomenon in the history of life. Now, however, we live in a world in which human population expansion and increased density, and increased globalization of travel and trade act synergistically with climate change to produce an explosive emerging disease crisis that represents an existential threat to technological humanity. The DAMA (Document, Assess, Monitor, Act) Protocol stems from the Stockholm Paradigm. It takes advantage of evolutionary specificity and conservatism to provide proactive measures for anticipating disease threats before they emerge and mitigating their socio-economic impact.This work is being done as part of a larger program in Conflict and Cooperation in Evolutionary Systems headed by Prof. Eors Szathmáry of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences. Prof. Brooks also contributes to the conceptual foundations of that program, through analysis of the major metaphors of evolution.

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