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Scientists ponder origins of human lice

GAINESVILLE, Fla., March 12 (UPI) -- About 3.3 million years ago lice found on gorillas began to infest humans, an event U.S. scientists say has provided important evolutionary clues.

University of Florida researchers said they believe humans most likely acquired the gorilla's lice while sleeping in their nests or eating the meat of the giant apes.

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David Reed, assistant curator of mammals at the Florida Museum of Natural History, one of the study's authors, said understanding the history of lice is important because the tiny insects provide clues about the lifestyles of early hominids and evolution of modern humans. Since the human fossil record is patchy and finding early DNA samples is difficult, parasites such as head lice, pubic lice, tapeworms and pinworms that have existed for millions of years provide valuable information, he said.

"These lice really give us the potential to learn how humans evolved when so many parts of our evolutionary history are obscure," said Reed. "Lice also can serve as a model in understanding how parasites move from one species to another."

The research appears in the Journal of Biology.

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