Genetics of head lice could offer a new avenue for exploring human migration and mixing
When it comes to investigating the human story, scientists tend to focus on clues in our ancestors’ bones and artifacts. The tiny, bloodsucking parasites that infest our scalps? Not so much. Butsuggests the genetics of head lice can shed light on when and where groups of humans split and came together in the past.
In the past, scientists have shown that the global distribution of lice strains mirrors past and contemporary population movements, and they have done similar studies with. As a postdoc in the lab of University of Florida geneticist David Reed investigating the genetic relationships between mammals and their parasites, Ascunce wondered whether lice could offer even more detail about our history.
Another cluster linked lice from the Americas and Europe. Based on how quickly the lice reproduce and accumulate the genetic mutations that lead to microsatellites, the researchers could estimate when the lice of Indigenous Americans might have hybridized with European lice. The most likely answer, they found, was about 500 years ago—during the time of European colonization. “I see this as a proof of concept that human lice are good markers for human evolution and migration,” Ascunce says.
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What head lice can tell us about human migrationLaura is a science news writer, covering a wide variety of subjects, but she is particularly fascinated by all things aquatic, paleontology, nanotechnology, and exploring how science influences daily life. Laura is a proud former resident of the New Jersey shore, a competitive swimmer, and a fierce defender of the Oxford comma.
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