Malaria Influenced Human Evolution and Settlement Patterns in Africa

Tue, 05 May 2026 20:04:00 +0200

Recent research from the Max Planck Institute of Geoanthropology and the University of Cambridge suggests that malaria, one of the oldest human infectious diseases, significantly influenced the evolution and settlement patterns of early humans in Africa. By examining malaria transmission risks between 74,000 and 5,000 years ago, researchers found that populations avoided high-risk areas, leading to fragmented communities across the continent. This fragmentation impacted how groups interacted, interbred, and exchanged genetic material, contributing to the diversity seen in modern human populations. Using a combination of species distribution models for mosquitoes, paleoclimate reconstructions, and epidemiological data, the study demonstrates that disease—alongside climate and geographical barriers—played a crucial role in shaping where humans could live and how societies developed. These findings challenge traditional views that primarily attribute human settlement patterns to environme