Overview
- The Scientific Reports study analyzed DNA from 38 mosquitoes across 11 Anopheles leucosphyrus species to reconstruct evolutionary history and host preference.
- A single shift to feeding on hominins is inferred for this clade, with the transition dated between 2.9 and 1.6 million years ago in Sundaland.
- The timing aligns with fossil-based estimates for Homo erectus in Southeast Asia around 1.8 million years ago, consistent with an odor-driven adaptation requiring large populations.
- Researchers report the leucosphyrus group as the earliest known anthropophilic mosquito lineage, contrasting with other mosquitoes that adopted human feeding within the past ~10,000 years.
- The findings revise later timelines proposed for African malaria vectors and highlight a biological proxy where Southeast Asian fossil records are sparse.