Extinction of Dinosaurs linked to Malaria

Published: 2nd Apr 2016

The oldest strain of malaria has been discovered in a biting midge preserved in amber that dates back some 100 million years. Known as Paleohaemoproteus burmacis the malaria strain was found in a mosquito preserved in amber in the Dominican Republic. Catastrophic events such as meteorite hits and volcanic eruptions are associated with the extinction of the dinosaurs. However it is known that there was a gradual decline as well over thousands of years. This could well be linked to disease such as malaria.

A recent study has shown that modern birds, descendents of dinosaurs, could well have been carriers of malaria before spreading it to mammals and humans. Malaria is a mosquito-borne disease that killed half a million people and infected a further 214 million worldwide in 2015, according to World Health Organization figures.

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