The Digester

DNA shows mosquitoes first fed on humans 2.9 to 1.6 million years ago

Feb 26th 2026

Genetic reconstruction places the first mosquito preference for early humans in Sundaland and links the change to hominin movements into Southeast Asia, with the leucosphyrus group adapting long before other mosquito lineages.

  • Analysis of 38 mosquito genomes from 11 Anopheles leucosphyrus species dated the shift to human feeding between 2.9 and 1.6 million years ago.