In the blood – the remarkable ancestry of Plasmodium falciparum

• Published in: Trends in parasitology Vol. 18; no. 8; pp. 356 - 359
• Main Authors: Conway, David J., Baum, Jake
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier Ltd 01.08.2002; Elsevier
• Subjects: Alleles; Animals; Biological and medical sciences; DNA, Mitochondrial - analysis; effective population size; evolution; Evolution, Molecular; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Genes, Protozoan - genetics; Genetics; Genetics of eukaryotes. Biological and molecular evolution; Genome, Protozoan; genomics; malaria; Natural Selection; Phylogeny; Plasmodium falciparum - classification; Plasmodium falciparum - genetics; Polymorphism, Genetic; Population Density; Population genetics, reproduction patterns; Protozoa; Species Specificity; effective population size; Parasitology; Genetics; Natural Selection; genomics; evolution; malaria; Protozoa; Apicomplexa; Protozoal disease; Malaria; Parasite; Genetic diversity; Parasitosis; Phylogeny; Population genetics; Infection; Plasmodium falciparum; Pathogenic; Polymorphism
• ISSN: 1471-4922; 1471-5007
• DOI: 10.1016/S1471-4922(02)02316-4

Discussions concerning the origin and spread of malaria are popular. Colourful and diverse players, such as early hominids, agriculturalists, conquistadors and various animals, tend to feature prominently in imagined horrible histories. So, what of recent studies on genomic diversity in Plasmodium falciparum that claim to give more precision to the subject? Have they restricted the freeform speculation or just enhanced it? Or, are they pointing to a more important understanding about the parasite that might affect its future? Discussions about the origin and spread of malaria are popular. Colourful and diverse players such as early hominids, agriculturalists, conquistadors, and various animals tend to feature prominently in imagined horrible histories. So, what of recent studies on genomic diversity in Plasmodium falciparum that claim to give more precision to the subject? Have they restricted the freeform speculation, or just enhanced it? Or, are they pointing to a more important understanding about the parasite that might affect its future?