Early hominin arrival in Southeast Asia triggered the evolution of major human malaria vectors

Abstract

Understanding the evolution of anthropophily, the preference of mosquitoes to feed on humans offers insights into current and future human disease transmission. Some species of the Leucosphyrus Group of Anopheles mosquitoes in Southeast Asia are highly anthropophilic and efficient vectors of human malaria parasites, while others primarily feed on non-human primates and transmit non-human primate malaria parasites. Through phylogenomic analysis of 11 recognized species, we studied the biogeography and evolutionary history of anthropophily in this group. Molecular dating and ancestral state reconstruction revealed that anthropophily evolved during the late Pliocene/early Pleistocene in Sundaland, likely in response to early hominins. This finding provides independent non-archaeological evidence supporting the limited fossil record of early hominin colonization in Southeast Asia around 1.8 million years ago.