A new genetic analysis suggests the Leucosphyrus group of malaria vectors may have begun feeding on humans as early as about 1.8 million years ago, signaling an ancient origin of anthropophily linked to Homo erectus in Sundaland.

This timing coincides with evidence of Homo erectus arriving in Sundaland around 1.8 million years ago, implying a link between hominin migration and a mosquito shift to human hosts.

The study indicates humans’ encounter with blood-feeding mosquitoes dates back to roughly 1.8 million years ago in Sundaland, based on analyses of the Leucosphyrus group.

The transition to human feeding appears to predate anatomically modern humans, suggesting that early human presence and abundance may have driven this evolutionary change.

Researchers warn that humans are creating new selective pressures, potentially pushing mosquitoes toward a stronger preference for human hosts over primates.

The findings have implications for understanding the evolution of mosquito-borne diseases and how ongoing human encroachment into wild areas could spur further vector adaptation.

Co-author notes that early anthropophily would require Homo erectus to be not just present but abundant in the region at the time.

DNA from 40 mosquitoes across 11 species in the Leucosphyrus group shows varying degrees of human blood preference, indicating an evolutionary switch from primate to human feeding.

The results challenge later estimates that human-feeding by malaria vectors began around 509,000 to 61,000 years ago, suggesting mosquito evolution informs broader questions about hominin development and migration.

The study contributes to understanding the co-evolution of humans and disease vectors, with implications for interpreting disease transmission history and Southeast Asian hominin dispersal.

Published in Scientific Reports, the work underscores longstanding interest in when mosquitoes first acquired a taste for human blood and how that informs current disease-control efforts.

The estimated window for the human-feeding shift spans roughly 2.9 to 1.6 million years ago, overlapping with Homo erectus’ flourishing period in the region.