The importance of understanding the human-animal interface : from early hominins to global citizens

Abstract

The complex relationships between the human and animal species have never ceased to evolve since the emergence of the human species and have resulted in a human-animal interface that has promoted the cross-species transmission, emergence and eventual evolution of a plethora of infectious pathogens. Remarkably, most of the characteristics of the human-animal interface-as we know it today-have been established long before the end of our species pre-historical development took place, to be relentlessly shaped throughout the history of our species. More recently, changes affecting the modern human population worldwide as well as their dramatic impact on the global environment have taken domestication, agriculture, urbanization, industrialization, and colonization to unprecedented levels. This has created a unique global multi-faceted human-animal interface, associated with a major epidemiological transition that is accompanied by an unexpected rise of new and emerging infectious diseases. Importantly, these developments are largely paralleled by medical, technological, and scientific progress, continuously spurred by our never-ending combat against pathogens. The human-animal interface has most likely contributed significantly to the evolutionary shaping and historical development of our species. Investment in a better understanding of this human-animal interface will offer humankind a future head-start in the never-ending battle against infectious diseases.

Fig. 1

Main attributes of the human–animal interface since prehistorical times to present. The nature of the animal species implicated in the human–animal interface is indicated (colored surface areas represent population size/density). The principal human behaviors implicated in the human–animal interface are indicated on the right part of the diagram. mya Million years ago; kya thousand years ago

Fig. 2

Comparison between divergences for branch points in the herpesvirus tree and dates of corresponding events in mammalian evolution. Modified from McGeoch et al. (2000). Divergence events and times: humans/chimpanzees, 5.5 mya (million years ago); human/cercopithecidae, 23.3 mya; mice/rats, 40.7 mya; feliformia/caniformia, 46.2 mya; Suidae/ruminants, 64.7 mya; carnivores/perissodactyls, 74.0 mya; artiodactyls/perissodactyls, 83.4 mya; primates/ungulates, 92.0 mya;primates/rodents (sciurognathi), 112 mya

Fig. 3

a Number of highly pathogenic avian influenza outbreaks in poultry since the 1950s (gray bars) and trends in global poultry meat production (black points). b Number of new swine influenza virus lineages detected in pig populations since 1930 (gray bars) and trends in global swine meat production (black points). c Number of documented avian (black bars) and swine influenza virus lineages (gray bars) in humans since 1970. Subtypes are indicated for each decade; sw swine influenza virus; av avian influenza virus. Modified from Reperant and Osterhaus (2012)