In the mouse model of malaria, the researchers injected Plasmodium-infected human red blood cells into the mice because the Plasmodium species had surface ligand proteins that bound only to cell membrane proteins of human red blood cells. Assume that the researchers noticed that some of the parasites no longer infected human red blood cells but instead infected mouse red blood cells. Predict the most likely cause of this change in the host specificity of the parasites. Plasmodium reproduces both sexually in the host vertebrate and asexually in mosquitoes. The researchers claim that the Plasmodium organisms that infect the two different types of red blood cells are likely to evolve into two separate species of Plasmodium. Based on the biological species concept, provide reasoning that would support the researchers’ claim.
