Scientists Reconstruct Ancient Malaria Genomes to Trace Origins and Spread, Published in Nature

Jun 12, 2024, 05:34 PM

Scientists have successfully reconstructed the ancient genomes of the two most deadly malaria parasites, Plasmodium vivax and Plasmodium falciparum, to trace their origins and spread. The study, published in Nature, reveals that these parasites were present in geographically disparate regions of Eurasia from as early as the fourth and first millennia BCE. The research includes samples from infected ancient individuals from Neolithic Germany, Chalcolithic Iberia, Bronze Age Balkans and Sardinia, as well as Iron Age sites in Italy and Austria. This discovery sheds light on the long history shared between humans and the Plasmodium parasite, which infects blood cells and causes malaria. The study is also highlighted by the Harvard Gazette.