The phenomenon of chimerism is reviewed against an understanding of adaptive immunity in vertebrates. It is shown that chimerism can be regarded as a ubiquitous condition and this suggests that monophylesis has played little part in evolution. It is suggested that the adaptive immune response has a special role in facilitating the development of chimerism and that the consensus view of adaptive immunity as a rejection mechanism should be revised.
Keywords: adaptive immunity; chimerism; communicable disease; evolution; innate immunity; symbiosis.