8legs: Sub-saharan africa

#1 out of 10.00%

'We can no longer ignore diseases in the deep human past': Malaria influenced early humans' migrations across Africa, study suggests

Malaria risk influenced where prehistoric hunter-gatherers settled in sub-Saharan Africa, limiting settlement in high-risk areas.
Researchers linked climate data with malaria models to map past habitats and early settlements.
The team estimates malaria shaped population structures at least 13,000 years ago, before agriculture.
Experts say diseases, including malaria, had transformative effects on deep human history.
The study presents a new method to explore disease impact in ancient times beyond malaria.
The research was published in Science Advances and led by Eleanor Scerri and colleagues.
Central West Africa emerged as a malaria hotspot that likely shaped ancient settlement patterns.
The research signals a shift in how we study the role of disease in early human life.
The article notes malaria's influence predates the shift to farming.

Vote 0