Humanity's past may be hidden in louse DNA

Scientists have begun using louse DNA to help them learn more about ancient humans, including the arrival of different human groups in the Americas.

According to details featured in Chip, it seems quite intriguing that scientists can learn when humans first arrived in a specific part of our planet by looking at the DNA of lice. The first humans to arrive in the Americas left behind an abundance of evidence scattered across the continent, including some ancient stone tools, fossilized bones, and even fossilized footprints. However, genetic studies have not been able to show exactly when and where these migrations took place. Louse DNA may hold the clues scientists are looking for.

According to a study published in PLOS One, researchers found two separate clusters of lice, which indicates that the two clusters migrated to the Americas with different human hosts. The first group reached the continent along with the East Asians who first settled in the Americas, while the second group did not reach their new home until thousands of years later, when European colonists began traveling to the Americas.

Researchers say that the only place where these two types of lice hybridized is the American continent. It is stated that this explanation sheds light on the human journey across our world. Furthermore, some researchers believe that louse DNA and its evolution could offer more clues, especially regarding how humanity evolved years ago.

LOUSE DNA CAN REVEAL MUCH ABOUT HUMANS

DNA studies conducted on two common types of lice showed that they diverged significantly from each other approximately 190 thousand years ago.

Researchers say this is around the same time that human history and culture made significant progress. Perhaps more importantly, since no clothing from that period has survived to the present day, louse DNA may be the greatest evidence we have regarding this development and change.