1Man is an animal like any other. Human beings evolve and adapt to their environment over the long term. To examine this adaptation phenomenon, a multidisciplinary study was carried out in Cameroon from 1983 to 1993. Why Cameroon? Because the country features most African ecosystems (desert, forest, savannah, high altitude) and 240 different languages and thus different human populations. Over a period of 10, researchers identified the resources available, cooking recipes, the calorific intake, the growth of individuals, the diseases present, etc.

Honey collection by Baka people, Cameroon.

2Among other results, they showed that 20% to 25% of Cameroonian children suffered from malnutrition, regardless of their living environment, but for different reasons. Researchers explained this finding by the fact that, while food is plentiful in the forest, so are pathogens, which hamper children’s development. In dry environments (savannah or desert), food is harder to come by but the parasite load is lower. Children are healthier even though their diet is not as good. This finding helped adapt targeted strategies to combat malnutrition.

Traditional huts, Baka Pygmies, Cameroon.

3In the early 2000s, anthropologists took an interest in the biological diversity of populations and established a genetic map of Cameroon. Three major groups stand out: Bantus, Sahelians and Pygmies. Working with climatologists, researchers traced the history of Pygmies, a population characterised by their small size who have adapted to life in the forest. As a result of major climate cycles which sometimes reduced and fragmented African forests, Pygmies experienced isolation phases for hundreds of centuries, which explain their dispersion and current morphology.

4In the past few years, research has focused on exposure to wildlife, notably the frequency of contacts between apes and humans, the objective being to pinpoint and identify those viruses likely to be transmitted by contact with game, and those which could be responsible for the emerging diseases of tomorrow.