![](\"http:\/\/cyber.law.harvard.edu\/blogs\/static\/dowbrigade\/lousse.jpg\")
Scientists unraveling the genetic history
\n of head lice have found startling evidence that early humans mingled
\n with a clan of hairy, distant cousins as recently as 25,000 years ago
\n in Asia — a previously undocumented meeting that appears to have occurred
\n after the two peoples had evolved separately for a million years. <\/p>\n
The more brawny but less brainy branch of humanity apparently went extinct
\n soon after that family reunion — echoing the fate of Neanderthals, who
\n also went extinct after making contact with the predecessors of modern
\n humans around the same time in what is now Europe. <\/p>\n
"We’ve discovered the ‘smoking louse’ that reveals direct contact between
\ntwo early species of humans," said Utah’s Dale Clayton, who led the study
\npublished in the journal PLoS Biology<\/p>\n
It is not clear what happened during those cross-cultural exchanges. "We
\n may have mated with them; we may have eaten them. There’s no way to know," said
\n Alan Rogers, a University of Utah anthropologist who was involved in
\n the new work, being published today.<\/p>\n
Or maybe both….<\/em><\/p>\n from The Scientists unraveling the genetic history of head lice have found startling evidence that early humans mingled with a clan of hairy, distant cousins as recently as 25,000 years ago in Asia — a previously undocumented meeting that appears to have … Continue reading
\n Washington Post<\/a><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"