The virus that causes aids, hiv (human immunodeficiency virus), derives from siv (simian immunodeficiency virus). siv can only infect monkeys. people who hunted wild monkeys were not susceptible to siv infection because the host range of the virus was species- specific (i. e., restricted to monkeys). then all of a sudden. siv gained the ability to infect humans and the hiv/aids pandemic began. as a geneticist, how would you explain this? you may answer in very general terms. a full credit answer can be written in one word

Mutation

Explanation:

In genetics, any heritable change of the base-pair sequence of genetic material is referred to as MUTATION.

SIV (Simian Immunodeficiency Virus) must have undergone mutation, which is the basis of genetic variation or evolution

it can be explain in such a way that there might be a kind of likelihood of cross-species transmission when a person is exposed to one strain versus another.'

it was found through research with  evidence that SIV strains mutate when they enter cells to overcome human-specific barriers to infection, something that had been suspected for a long time.

Explanation:

The first strain of a virus considered the ancestor of HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, was passed to humans in the early 1900s, somewhere near a West African rainforest. Now a study has backed up this theory, by proving forms of HIV can cross between chimps and humans.

more words for this could be abiotic and biotic

abiotic: living organisms within an ecosystem

biotic: non-living organisms within an ecosystem