Plasmodium dominicana

Plasmodium dominicana
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
(unranked):	Sar
(unranked):	Alveolata
Phylum:	Apicomplexa
Class:	Aconoidasida
Order:	Haemosporida
Family:	Plasmodiidae
Genus:	Plasmodium
Species:	P. dominicana
Binomial name
	Plasmodium dominicana;

Plasmodium dominicana is a parasite of the genus Plasmodium.

The species is only known from a mosquito fossil, dating from the Cenozoic era, that was found embedded in amber. The mosquito vector was identified as . The fossil was found in what is now the Dominican Republic.^[1]^[2]

The vertebrate host of this species is unknown but it seems likely that it may have been a bird.

Description[]

The parasite was first described by Poinar in 2005.^[1] It appears that it may have been a relation of Plasmodium juxtanucleare which would place it in the subgenus Bennettinia.

Geographical occurrence[]

Fossil found in the Dominican Republic.

Clinical features and host pathology[]

The host seems likely to have been a member of the order Galliformes but this cannot be confirmed.

References[]

^ ^a ^b Poinar G Jr. (2005) Plasmodium dominicana n. sp. (Plasmodiidae: Haemospororida) from Tertiary Dominican amber. Syst. Parasitol. 61(1):47-52.
^ John P. Roche (2016). "Did the Malaria Parasite First Evolve in the Insect Vector or the Vertebrate Host?". Entomology Today. March 18, 2016.

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[Poinar2005-1] Poinar G Jr. (2005) Plasmodium dominicana n. sp. (Plasmodiidae: Haemospororida) from Tertiary Dominican amber. Syst. Parasitol. 61(1):47-52.

[2] John P. Roche (2016). "Did the Malaria Parasite First Evolve in the Insect Vector or the Vertebrate Host?". Entomology Today. March 18, 2016.

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