• DOI:10.1016/S0960-9822(03)00507-4
Corpus ID: 15277254

Molecular Evolution of Pediculus humanus and the Origin of Clothing

@article{Kittler2003MolecularEO,
  title={Molecular Evolution of Pediculus humanus and the Origin of Clothing},
  author={R. Kittler and M. Kayser and M. Stoneking},
  journal={Current Biology},
  year={2003},
  volume={13},
  pages={1414-1417}
}

• R. Kittler, M. Kayser, M. Stoneking
• Published 2003
• Medicine, Biology
• Current Biology

The human head louse (Pediculus humanus capitis) and body louse (P. humanus corporis or P. h. humanus) are strict, obligate human ectoparasites that differ mainly in their habitat on the host : the head louse lives and feeds exclusively on the scalp, whereas the body louse feeds on the body but lives in clothing. This ecological differentiation probably arose when humans adopted frequent use of clothing, an important event in human evolution for which there is no direct archaeological evidence… Expand