Hyderabad study traces mites, ticks evolution through genomes
HYDERABAD: Scientists from Hyderabad have mapped how mites and ticks evolved and diversified into parasites over more than 100 million years by tracking ancient gene and chromosome changes across arachnid genomes.
The study, led by Siddharth Kulkarni of CSIR-Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology, analysed 90 arachnid genomes the largest such dataset so far along with contributions from three undergraduate students of Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Thiruvananthapuram.
Genome-scale clues to ancient lineages
Instead of focusing only on genes, the team examined the physical order of genes on chromosomes, using conserved arrangements to infer shared ancestry. “Over millions of years, genes get shuffled, but identical patterns across groups point to a common ancestor,” Kulkarni said.
Two independent origins confirmed
The analysis confirms that mites and ticks fall into two distinct lineages that evolved independently from different ancestors: Acariformes, which includes most mites, and Parasitiformes, which includes ticks and some mites. The findings help resolve long-standing uncertainties about relationships among arachnids.
Implications for disease prediction
Understanding these evolutionary links can improve predictions about parasite emergence and pathogen spread, researchers said. Closely related arachnids often transmit similar pathogens, and mapping their relationships could aid early warning systems and targeted vector control.
With climate change and land-use shifts altering the distribution of mites and ticks across ecosystems, the genomic framework may support One Health strategies spanning wildlife, livestock and human health.
