It Probably Came From Bats

Tracing the evolutionary lineage of the coronavirus

Photo by Igam Ogam on Unsplash

One of the most enduring mysteries of the coronavirus is where it originated. It was first traced to a wet market in Wuhan — where vendors sell produce, meat, seafood, and occasionally live animals — which raised the likely possibility that it came from an animal. But which one? Much of the research pointed to bats (which are…