Mosquitoes have existed for over 200 million years and likely fed on dinosaur blood.

Mosquitoes belong to the family Culicidae, which fossil evidence suggests originated during the Jurassic period, though molecular clock studies push their lineage back to the Triassic period over 200 million years ago. One of the oldest known mosquito fossils, Burmaculex antiquus, was found in Burmese amber dating back nearly 100 million years. This specimen already possessed the specialized mouthparts needed for blood-feeding, confirming the ancient nature of their parasitic lifestyle.Researchers believe that early mosquitoes likely fed on the blood of dinosaurs, pterosaurs, and early mammals. Evidence for this comes from the discovery of blood-feeding insects preserved in amber with traces of host DNA or hemoglobin-like proteins. The ability to consume high-protein blood meals allowed these insects to produce large quantities of eggs, ensuring their survival through multiple global climate shifts.The persistence of mosquitoes is largely attributed to their extreme adaptability and simple, effective body plan. While the dinosaurs were wiped out during the Cretaceous-Paleogene extinction event 66 million years ago, mosquitoes survived by occupying diverse ecological niches. They can breed in tiny amounts of stagnant water and have evolved to detect carbon dioxide and heat from up to 100 feet away. Today, there are over 3,500 species of mosquitoes inhabiting every continent except Antarctica.