Overview

• Researchers sequenced 656 modern genomes collected in 2014–2018 plus 45 museum specimens from 1927–1967 across 16 countries, with results published in Science.
• Equatorial samples showed shared genetic variation across roughly 4,000 kilometers, indicating one large interconnected population.
• Other groups, including populations in north Ghana and south Benin, were genetically distinct, highlighting local structure that can affect interventions.
• One insecticide‑resistance mutation seen widely today was already present in the 1960s, while additional resistance variants appear to have emerged later as insecticide use changed.
• A gene‑drive target used in Anopheles gambiae closely matches in An. funestus, suggesting doublesex systems could be adapted, and the dataset is now available in the MalariaGEN Vector Observatory to support surveillance.