Anopheles mosquitoes have been feeding on human blood for almost 2 million years
Understanding when and why mosquitoes evolved to feed on human blood could help find better ways to avoid them.
TL;DR
- The preference for human blood in some Anopheles mosquitoes may have emerged approximately 1.8 million years ago.
- This evolution is linked to the arrival of Homo erectus in Southeast Asia, specifically the Sundaland region.
- The study analyzed DNA from 38 mosquitoes of eleven species within the Anopheles Leucosphyrus group.
- Researchers used computational models and DNA mutation rates to reconstruct the evolutionary history of these mosquitoes.
- The findings suggest that multiple mutations in genes related to body odor detection were necessary for mosquitoes to adapt to recognizing and feeding on humans.
- The study provides biological evidence for the presence of Homo erectus in Southeast Asia almost two million years ago, complementing limited fossil records.