PBS Eons: How Our Deadliest Parasite Turned To The Dark Side #malaria #paleontology #parasite #dna #biology #fossil #mosquito

 

There's a new episode of PBS Eons.  This one is about the origin of malaria.  Did you know that Plasmodium is a plant?!?

Around 10,000 years ago, somewhere in Africa, a microscopic parasite made a huge leap. With a little help from a mosquito, it left its animal host - probably a gorilla - and found its way to a new host: us.