Early origin and recent expansion of Plasmodium falciparum.

Journal article

The emergence of virulent Plasmodium falciparum in Africa within the past 6000 years as a result of a cascade of changes in human behavior and mosquito transmission has recently been hypothesized. Here, we provide genetic evidence for a sudden increase in the African malaria parasite population about 10,000 years ago, followed by migration to other regions on the basis of variation in 100 worldwide mitochondrial DNA sequences. However, both the world and some regional populations appear to be...

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Authors: Joy, D; Feng, X; Mu, J; Furuya, T; Chotivanich, K

• Publication status: Published
• Journal: Science (New York, N.Y.)
• Volume: 300
• Issue: 5617
• Pages: 318-321
• Publication date: 2003-04-01
• DOI: 10.1126/science.1081449
• EISSN: 1095-9203
• ISSN: 0036-8075
• Language: English
• Keywords: Asia; Selection, Genetic; Sequence Analysis, DNA; Agriculture; Papua New Guinea; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; Humans; DNA, Protozoan; Introns; Plasmodium; Genome, Protozoan; Mutation; DNA, Mitochondrial; Haplotypes; South America; Africa; Insect Vectors; Genes, Protozoan; Genetic Variation; Animals; Emigration and Immigration; Anopheles; Evolution, Molecular; Time; Malaria, Falciparum; RNA, Ribosomal; Population Density; Plasmodium falciparum; Pan troglodytes; Likelihood Functions