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Fossils May Not Tell the Complete Story of Early Humans. Mosquitoes Could Fill in the Gaps
Mosquitoes haven’t always had a taste for human blood — partly because the tiny yet dangerous insects have been around a lot longer than humans.
TL;DR
- Mosquitoes' shift to feeding on human blood, evolving between 2.9 million and 1.6 million years ago in Southeast Asia, may signal the presence of early hominins like Homo erectus.
- This genetic analysis offers a complementary method to traditional fossil evidence for tracking prehistoric human migration, especially in regions like Southeast Asia where remains degrade quickly.
- The adaptation in mosquitoes likely occurred in response to environmental changes and the abundance of hominins, suggesting a complex interplay within the Earth system.
- Studying the evolution of anthropophilic mosquitoes (those preferring human blood) can also shed light on the spread of diseases like malaria.