Population genomic evidence of Southeast Asian origin.

is the most common and widespread human malaria parasite. It was recently proposed that originates from sub-Saharan Africa based on the circulation of its closest genetic relatives () among African great apes. However, the limited number of genetic markers and samples investigated questions the robustness of this hypothesis. Here, we extensively characterized the genomic variations of 447 human strains and 19 ape strains collected worldwide. Phylogenetic relationships between human and ape strains revealed that is a sister clade of , not included within the radiation of By investigating various aspects of genetic variation, we identified several notable geographical patterns in summary statistics in function of the increasing geographic distance from Southeast Asia, suggesting that may have derived from a single area in Asia through serial founder effects.