Editing Plasmodium falciparum (section)

=== Origin and evolution ===
''P. falciparum'' is now generally accepted to have evolved from ''[[Laverania]]'' (a subgenus of ''Plasmodium'' found in apes) species present in gorillas in Western Africa.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Liu|first1=W|last2=Li|first2=Y|last3=Learn|first3=GH|last4=Rudicell|first4=RS|last5=Robertson|first5=JD|last6=Keele|first6=BF|last7=Ndjango|first7=JB|last8=Sanz|first8=CM|last9=Morgan|first9=DB|last10=Locatelli|first10=S|last11=Gonder|first11=MK|last12=Kranzusch|first12=PJ|last13=Walsh|first13=PD|last14=Delaporte|first14=E|last15=Mpoudi-Ngole|first15=E|last16=Georgiev|first16=AV|last17=Muller|first17=MN|last18=Shaw|first18=GM|last19=Peeters|first19=M|last20=Sharp|first20=PM|last21=Rayner|first21=JC|last22=Hahn|first22=BH|title=Origin of the human malaria parasite'' Plasmodium falciparum'' in gorillas|journal=Nature|date= 2010|volume=467|issue=7314|pages=420–5|doi=10.1038/nature09442|pmid=20864995|pmc=2997044|display-authors=8|bibcode=2010Natur.467..420L}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|last1=Holmes|first1=Edward C.|title=Malaria: The gorilla connection|journal=Nature|date=2010|volume=467|issue=7314|pages=404–405|doi=10.1038/467404a|pmid=20864986|bibcode=2010Natur.467..404H|s2cid=205058952|doi-access=free}}</ref> Genetic diversity indicates that the human protozoan emerged around 10,000 years ago.<ref name=loy/><ref name=":2" /> The closest relative of ''P. falciparum'' is ''P. praefalciparum'', a parasite of [[gorilla]]s, as supported by [[mitochondrial DNA|mitochondrial]], [[apicoplast]]ic and [[nuclear DNA]] sequences.<ref name="Liu et al. 2010">{{cite journal |last1=Liu |first1=Weimin |last2=Li |first2=Yingying |last3=Learn |first3=Gerald H. |last4=Rudicell |first4=Rebecca S. |last5=Robertson |first5=Joel D. |last6=Keele |first6=Brandon F. |last7=Ndjango |first7=Jean-Bosco N. |last8=Sanz |first8=Crickette M. |last9=Morgan |first9=David B. |last10=Locatelli |first10=Sabrina |last11=Gonder |first11=Mary K. |last12=Kranzusch |first12=Philip J. |last13=Walsh |first13=Peter D. |last14=Delaporte |first14=Eric |last15=Mpoudi-Ngole |first15=Eitel |last16=Georgiev |first16=Alexander V. |last17=Muller |first17=Martin N. |last18=Shaw |first18=George M. |last19=Peeters |first19=Martine |last20=Sharp |first20=Paul M. |last21=Rayner |first21=Julian C. |last22=Hahn |first22=Beatrice H. |title=Origin of the human malaria parasite ''Plasmodium falciparum'' in gorillas |journal=Nature |date=September 2010 |volume=467 |issue=7314 |pages=420–425 |doi=10.1038/nature09442 |bibcode = 2010Natur.467..420L| pmid=20864995
| pmc=2997044}}</ref><ref name="Duval et al. 2010">{{cite journal |last1=Duval |first1=Linda |last2=Fourment |first2=Mathieu |last3=Nerrienet |first3=Eric |last4=Rousset |first4=Dominique |last5=Sadeuh |first5=Serge A. |last6=Goodman |first6=Steven M. |last7=Andriaholinirina |first7=Nicole V. |last8=Randrianarivelojosia |first8=Milijaona |last9=Paul |first9=Richard E. |last10=Robert |first10=Vincent |last11=Ayala |first11=Francisco J. |last12=Ariey |first12=Frédéric |title=African apes as reservoirs of ''Plasmodium falciparum'' and the origin and diversification of the Laverania subgenus |journal=Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences |date=8 June 2010 |volume=107 |issue=23 |pages=10561–10566 |doi=10.1073/pnas.1005435107 |pmid=20498054 |pmc=2890828 |bibcode=2010PNAS..10710561D |doi-access = free
}}</ref><ref name="Rayner et al. 2010">{{cite journal |last1=Rayner |first1=Julian C. |last2=Liu |first2=Weimin |last3=Peeters |first3=Martine |last4=Sharp |first4=Paul M. |last5=Hahn |first5=Beatrice H. |title=A plethora of Plasmodium species in wild apes: a source of human infection? |journal=Trends in Parasitology |date=May 2011 |volume=27 |issue=5 |pages=222–229 |doi=10.1016/J.Pt.2011.01.006 |pmid=21354860 |pmc=3087880}}</ref> These two species are closely related to the [[Common chimpanzee|chimpanzee]] parasite ''P. reichenowi'', which was previously thought to be the closest relative of ''P. falciparum''. ''P. falciparum'' was also once thought to originate from a parasite of birds.<ref name="Rathore et al. 2001">{{cite journal |last1=Rathore |first1=Dharmendar |last2=Wahl |first2=Allison M |last3=Sullivan |first3=Margery |last4=McCutchan |first4=Thomas F |title=A phylogenetic comparison of gene trees constructed from plastid, mitochondrial and genomic DNA of Plasmodium species |journal=Molecular and Biochemical Parasitology |date=April 2001 |volume=114 |issue=1 |pages=89–94 |doi=10.1016/S0166-6851(01)00241-9}}</ref>

Levels of genetic [[Polymorphism (biology)|polymorphism]] are extremely low within the ''P. falciparum'' genome compared to that of closely related, ape infecting species of ''Plasmodium'' (including ''P. praefalciparum'').<ref name="Hartl 2004">{{Cite journal| volume = 2| issue = 1| pages = 15–22| last = Hartl| first = DH| title = The origin of malaria: mixed messages from genetic diversity| journal = Nature Reviews Microbiology| date = January 2004
| pmid=15035005| doi = 10.1038/nrmicro795| s2cid = 11020105}}</ref><ref name="Liu et al. 2010" /> This suggests that the origin of ''P. falciparum'' in humans is recent, as a single ''P. praefalciparum'' strain became capable of infecting humans.<ref name="Liu et al. 2010" /> The genetic information of ''P. falciparum'' has signaled a recent expansion that coincides with the agricultural revolution. The development of extensive agriculture likely increased mosquito population densities by giving rise to more breeding sites, which may have triggered the evolution and expansion of ''P. falciparum''.<ref>{{cite journal | last1 = Hume | first1 = J.C. | last2 = Lyons | first2 = E.J. | last3 = Day | first3 = K.P. | year = 2003 | title = Human migration, mosquitoes and the evolution of ''Plasmodium falciparum'' | journal = Trends Parasitol | volume = 19 | issue = 3| pages = 144–9 | doi=10.1016/s1471-4922(03)00008-4| pmid = 12643998 }}</ref>