The "Smoking" Louse.
Oct. 6th, 2004 03:01 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
swestrupIt seems that the genetics of Head-Lice has told us something about early man. It has been determined (I wish there was some evidence of HOW) that one of the two major strains of head-lice that infest humans once infested Homo Erectus (Which BTW is a great name for a band.)
This shows that about 30,000 years ago, Homo Sapiens and Homo Erectus had contact. Up until now it was assumed that they had died out before we ever came on the scene. Now it looks like, along with the Neandertals, their extinction happened after we interacted with them -- possibly quite violently.
No one knows if we also tried to mate with them, but these stalwart researchers are now working on the lineages of pubic lice to try and find out...
This shows that about 30,000 years ago, Homo Sapiens and Homo Erectus had contact. Up until now it was assumed that they had died out before we ever came on the scene. Now it looks like, along with the Neandertals, their extinction happened after we interacted with them -- possibly quite violently.
No one knows if we also tried to mate with them, but these stalwart researchers are now working on the lineages of pubic lice to try and find out...
