Head lice predate the extinction of dinosaurs 

New progress on the evolution of mammals and birds

New research suggests that head lice existed millions of years before the planet collision that wiped out the dinosaurs 65 million years ago, challenging the evolution of mammals and birds.

Head lice predate the extinction of dinosaurs 

Head lice predate the extinction of dinosaurs 

American scientists confirmed

 That head lice existed on Earth long before they hit the planet that led to the demise of the dinosaurs. Published in the Journal of the Royal Society Biology Letters, the researchers suggest that lice, including birds and mammals, evolved before this impact and managed to survive the widespread destruction that caused the extinction of many species of animals.

Uncovering ancient lineages through genetic mapping

Under the leadership of Vincent Smith from the Natural History Museum in London, a team of researchers accurately compared the genes of 69 species of lice found. By analyzing the genetic differences between them, they built a genetic map detailing the subspecies of these species. This gene tree was then refined using fossil finds from known historical periods.

Scientific results clearly indicate 

It turned out that this evolutionary tree diverged significantly long before the Cretaceous period, a time when dinosaurs are believed to have become extinct due to the effects of the impact of massive planet destruction.

Lice as living fossils  

Head lice are famous for their remarkable ability to adapt to their hosts. While four main groups of these insects have existed for more than 100 million years, many of their ancestral hosts, including birds and mammals, are also believed to have evolved and survived the cataclysm of the planet

Previously, limited fossil evidence indicated

 It turned out that the powerful evolution of mammals and birds accelerated significantly only after the disappearance of the dinosaurs, as they vacated the ecological niches previously dominated by huge reptiles. However, genetic analysis of lice now suggests that the divergence of these host lineages probably occurred much earlier than previously thought.

• Vincent Smith emphasized the importance of these results
•  Saying lice are like living fossils 
•  The archive of our past is reflected in these parasitic insects 
• So we can use them as markers on our evolutionary path.

In conclusion

Kevin Johnson from the University of Illinois who is a collaborator in the study, also does not rule out the possibility that lice once parasitized the dinosaurs themselves. He notes that lice are widespread today among many species of birds, which are considered distant descendants of feathered dinosaurs.

 I wish you a happy day, any question, write us a comment with sincere greetings