title: Plasmodium falciparum is not as lonely as previously considered.
abstract: Until very recently, only one species (P. reichenowi) was known to be a phylogenetic sister lineage of P. falciparum, the main malignant agent of human malaria. In 2009 and 2010, new studies have revealed the existence of several new phylogenetic species related to this deadly parasite and infecting chimpanzees and gorillas in Africa. These discoveries invite us to explore a whole set of new questions, which we briefly do in this article.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire MIVEGEC, UM1-CNRS 5290-IRD 224, IRD Montpellier, France. franck.prugnolle@ird.fr
authors.forename: Franck
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Prugnolle
authors.forename: Francisco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ayala
authors.forename: Benjamin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Ollomo
authors.forename: Céline
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Arnathau
authors.forename: Patrick
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Durand
authors.forename: François
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Renaud
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D006801:Humans; D008288:Malaria / Q000469:parasitology* / Q000662:veterinary*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny; D010961:Plasmodium / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D010963:Plasmodium falciparum / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D018419:Primate Diseases / Q000469:parasitology*