Pathogens rule humans
Research that speculates pathogens contribute to the selective pressures for human survival and reproduction (1) is instructive. It has been clear that the great human on top of the hierarchy are slaves to the initial inhabitants of the blue planet. It may hurt the ego of the human but the pathogens, generally do not care.
The Amazon rainforest continues to be a great laboratory. There the research finds that the genes related to Trypanosoma cruzi infection, which is the pathogen responsible for Chagas disease has spread across the population easily and now across the world (1). The larger question is why humans exist. One could argue that humans are merely mobile containers for the pathogens and if they run out of their supposed utility, they will be eliminated.
The pyramid has been turned upside down. At the top, you have the first inhabitants and at the bottom, recent arrivals. The objectives of the former are clear, replication and domination. However, the bottom feeders appear confused, some driven by “ego,” and others “food,” but the fact that they exist for the pleasure of the pathogens may be mind numbing.
Humans, miserable and likely dumb, remain to be at the influence of the most successful life forms on Earth, pathogens.